Enrollment
237
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waite Park, MN
St. Cloud Area Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for St. Cloud Area Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 273351003003
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. Cloud Area Learning Center earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Waite Park · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 66.7%
- free-lunch eligible
St. Cloud Area Learning Center has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. Cloud Area Learning Center ranks #2 of 4 schools in Waite Park, MN.
School address
District: St. Cloud Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273351003003 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. Cloud Area Learning Center compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. Cloud Area Learning Center
St. Cloud Area Learning Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waite Park, Minnesota, enrolling 237 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 237 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 100 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (52%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 77 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
St. Cloud Public School District also operates Technical Senior High (1,561 students) and Apollo Senior High (1,264 students) alongside St. Cloud Area Learning Center.
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 St. Cloud Area Learning Center compares
St. Cloud Area Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.7% | ▲ 56% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 237 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
237
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 33% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$15,904
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.1 FTE
Per 76 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 51.9%
White 25.3%
Two or More 13.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, St. Cloud Area Learning Center is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Cloud Public School District, which includes St. Cloud Area Learning Center.
$15,904
Per student
+4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 61.7%
Federal 19.7%
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 St. Cloud Area Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apollo Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Community Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| South Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. Cloud Area Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,561
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,264
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 831
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other 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 (~237 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. Cloud Area Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare St. Cloud Area Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- St. Cloud Public School District'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 St. Cloud Area Learning Center
How many students attend St. Cloud Area Learning Center?
St. Cloud Area Learning Center has 237 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Waite Park, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. Cloud Area Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at St. Cloud Area Learning Center is 12.5:1, which is 21% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St. Cloud Area Learning Center?
66.7% of students at St. Cloud Area Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Cloud Area Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at St. Cloud Area Learning Center is African American at 51.9% of enrollment, in Waite Park, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. Cloud Area Learning Center?
St. Cloud Area Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does St. Cloud Area Learning Center rank among schools in Waite Park?
By Resource Investment Index, St. Cloud Area Learning Center ranks #2 of 4 schools in Waite Park, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waite Park on the city page.
Is St. Cloud Area Learning Center a good school?
St. Cloud Area Learning Center earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 St. Cloud Public School District?
Besides St. Cloud Area Learning Center, St. Cloud Public School District also operates Technical Senior High (1,561 students), Apollo Senior High (1,264 students), and Oak Hill Community Elementary (878 students). See the St. Cloud Public School District 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.