Enrollment
291
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Elk River, MN
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8
Federal NCES profile for Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270027605140Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 6
- middle schools in Elk River · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 32.3:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 12.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 has class sizes larger than 96% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 ranks #4 of 6 middle schools in Elk River, MN.
School address
District: Spectrum High School · Minnesota
NCES ID 270027605140 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
32.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+104% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter middle school in Elk River, Minnesota, enrolling 291 students.
Class loads run heavy: 32.3:1 is larger than about 96% of Minnesota schools and 104% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 12.8% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Minnesota average.
With 291 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 142 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #113, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 882 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Spectrum High School spends $9,695 per pupil, 37% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Spectrum High School also operates Spectrum High School (502 students) and Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6 (147 students) alongside Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 compares
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 32.3:1 | ▲ 104% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.8% | ▼ 70% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 291 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
32.3:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
291
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
32.3:1
students per teacher
- 104% above state mean
Top 96% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
2.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$9,695
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 87.6%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spectrum High School, which includes Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8.
$9,695
Per student
-37%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.0%
State 92.0%
Federal 2.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 27.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 147
- Students per teacher
- 29.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~291 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8's federal record.
- Compare Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 against another school. Compare schools
- Spectrum High School's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8
How many students attend Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8?
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 has 291 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Elk River, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8?
The student-teacher ratio at Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 is 32.3:1, which is 104% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 106% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8?
12.8% of students at Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8?
The largest demographic group at Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in Elk River, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8?
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 rank among middle schools in Elk River?
By Resource Investment Index, Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 ranks #4 of 6 middle schools in Elk River, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Elk River on the city page.
Is Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 a good school?
Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8 earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Minnesota schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Spectrum High School?
Besides Spectrum Middle School - Grades 7-8, Spectrum High School also operates Spectrum High School (502 students) and Spectrum Middle School - Grade 6 (147 students). See the Spectrum High School district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.