Enrollment
212
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Saint Paul, MN
St. Paul School of Northern Lights
Federal NCES profile for St. Paul School of Northern Lights, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270045805256Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. Paul School of Northern Lights earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Minnesota schools.
- #17 of 26
- elementary schools in Saint Paul · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 42.4:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 25.3%
- free-lunch eligible
St. Paul School of Northern Lights has class sizes larger than 98% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. Paul School of Northern Lights ranks #17 of 26 elementary schools in Saint Paul, MN.
School address
District: St. Paul School of Northern Lights · Minnesota
NCES ID 270045805256 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
42.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+168% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. Paul School of Northern Lights compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. Paul School of Northern Lights
St. Paul School of Northern Lights is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, enrolling 212 students.
Class loads run heavy: 42.4:1 is larger than about 98% of Minnesota schools and 168% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 212 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 221 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #183, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 52/100).
14.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district, St. Paul School of Northern Lights, also runs St. Paul School of Northern Lights Secondary (15 students).
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. Paul School of Northern Lights compares
St. Paul School of Northern Lights on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 42.4:1 | ▲ 168% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.3% | ▼ 41% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 212 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
42.4:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
212
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
42.4:1
students per teacher
- 168% above state mean
Top 98% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
14.6%
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
$13,854
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
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 67.0%
Two or More 13.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
African American 6.1%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 67.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, St. Paul School of Northern Lights is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Paul School of Northern Lights, which includes St. Paul School of Northern Lights.
$13,854
Per student
-9%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 1.5%
State 86.8%
Federal 11.8%
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. Paul School of Northern Lights Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul School of Northern Lights Secondary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. Paul School of Northern Lights's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
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 (~212 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. Paul School of Northern Lights's federal record.
- Compare St. Paul School of Northern Lights against another school. Compare schools
- St. Paul School of Northern Lights'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. Paul School of Northern Lights
How many students attend St. Paul School of Northern Lights?
St. Paul School of Northern Lights has 212 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Saint Paul, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. Paul School of Northern Lights?
The student-teacher ratio at St. Paul School of Northern Lights is 42.4:1, which is 168% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 170% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St. Paul School of Northern Lights?
25.3% of students at St. Paul School of Northern Lights are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Paul School of Northern Lights?
The largest demographic group at St. Paul School of Northern Lights is White at 67.0% of enrollment, in Saint Paul, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. Paul School of Northern Lights?
St. Paul School of Northern Lights has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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. Paul School of Northern Lights rank among elementary schools in Saint Paul?
By Resource Investment Index, St. Paul School of Northern Lights ranks #17 of 26 elementary schools in Saint Paul, 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 Saint Paul on the city page.
Is St. Paul School of Northern Lights a good school?
St. Paul School of Northern Lights earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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. Paul School of Northern Lights?
Besides St. Paul School of Northern Lights, St. Paul School of Northern Lights also operates St. Paul School of Northern Lights Secondary (15 students). See the St. Paul School of Northern Lights 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.