Enrollment
502
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Saint James, MN
St. James Northside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for St. James Northside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 273360001506
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. James Northside Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Saint James · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 49.8%
- free-lunch eligible
St. James Northside Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. James Northside Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Saint James, MN.
School address
District: St. James Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273360001506 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. James Northside Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. James Northside Elementary
St. James Northside Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Saint James, Minnesota, enrolling 502 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 49.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 502 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 271 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and White (35%) (diversity index 48/100).
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
St. James Public School District also operates St. James Middle/High School (566 students) and Armstrong School (65 students) alongside St. James Northside Elementary.
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. James Northside Elementary compares
St. James Northside Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.8% | ▲ 16% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 502 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
502
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 49% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,485
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.3%
White 35.1%
Two or More 1.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, St. James Northside Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. James Public School District, which includes St. James Northside Elementary.
$13,485
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.4%
State 65.7%
Federal 14.8%
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. James Northside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. James Middle/High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Armstrong School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. James Early Childhood | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. James Northside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 65
- Students per teacher
- 32.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 10
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~502 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. James Northside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare St. James Northside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- St. James 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. James Northside Elementary
How many students attend St. James Northside Elementary?
St. James Northside Elementary has 502 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Saint James, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. James Northside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at St. James Northside Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 9% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 9% 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. James Northside Elementary?
49.8% of students at St. James Northside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. James Northside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at St. James Northside Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 63.3% of enrollment, in Saint James, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. James Northside Elementary?
St. James Northside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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. James Northside Elementary rank among public schools in Saint James?
By Resource Investment Index, St. James Northside Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Saint James, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Saint James on the city page.
Is St. James Northside Elementary a good school?
St. James Northside Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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. James Public School District?
Besides St. James Northside Elementary, St. James Public School District also operates St. James Middle/High School (566 students), Armstrong School (65 students), and St. James Early Childhood (10 students). See the St. James 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.