Enrollment
450
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Stillwater, MN
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower
Federal NCES profile for St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270036204106Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 98
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 6
- elementary schools in Stillwater · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 10.3%
- free-lunch eligible
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower has class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Stillwater, MN.
School address
District: St. Croix Preparatory Academy · Minnesota
NCES ID 270036204106 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Stillwater, Minnesota, enrolling 450 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.3% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the Minnesota average.
Enrollment of 450 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 234 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Asian (14%) (diversity index 48/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding St. Croix Preparatory Academy spends $10,553 per pupil, 31% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
St. Croix Preparatory Academy also operates St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper (391 students) and St. Croix Prep Academy Middle (371 students) alongside St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower.
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. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower compares
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.3% | ▼ 76% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
450
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 75% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
0.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,553
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 69.8%
Asian 13.6%
African American 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: White at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.3, St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Croix Preparatory Academy, which includes St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower.
$10,553
Per student
-31%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 6.9%
State 87.4%
Federal 5.7%
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. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Croix Prep Academy Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 391
- Students per teacher
- 26.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary 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 (~450 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower's federal record.
- Compare St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower against another school. Compare schools
- St. Croix Preparatory Academy'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. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower
How many students attend St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower?
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower has 450 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Stillwater, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower?
The student-teacher ratio at St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower is 18:1, which is 14% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower?
10.3% of students at St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower?
The largest demographic group at St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower is White at 69.8% of enrollment, in Stillwater, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower?
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower rank among elementary schools in Stillwater?
By Resource Investment Index, St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower ranks #3 of 6 elementary schools in Stillwater, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Stillwater on the city page.
Is St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower a good school?
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 St. Croix Preparatory Academy?
Besides St. Croix Preparatory Academy Lower, St. Croix Preparatory Academy also operates St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper (391 students) and St. Croix Prep Academy Middle (371 students). See the St. Croix Preparatory Academy 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.