Enrollment
171
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 270036712727 Charter school
Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville — Burnsville, MN
Federal NCES profile for Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 31
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Step Academy · Minnesota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+89% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville reports 171 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 3.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% above the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 80.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 89% above the Minnesota average and 56% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Step Academy spends $15,837 per pupil district-wide, below the Minnesota average of $21,113 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 0.3% from local sources (property taxes), 76.9% from the state, and 22.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Minnesota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.8% | ▲ 89% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 171 | top 40% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
80.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 89% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
— 9% above state mean
Top 72% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$15,837
per pupil, district-wide
— below Minnesota avg of $21,113
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 171 Top 40% in Minnesota — larger than 60% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 3.0
Students per teacher 17.3:1 +9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 80.8% +89% vs state
NCES ID 270036712727
Student demographics
African American 99.4%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 99.4% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Step Academy, which includes Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville.
$15,837
Per student
-25%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 0.3%
State 76.9%
Federal 22.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Burnsville
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville
How many students attend Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville?
Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville has 171 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in BURNSVILLE, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville?
The student-teacher ratio at Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville is 17.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville?
80.8% of students at Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville?
The largest demographic group at Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville is African American at 99.4%. The school serves a student body in BURNSVILLE, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville?
Step Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.