Enrollment
52
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 270042004979
Swmetro Alc — Chaska, MN
Federal NCES profile for Swmetro Alc, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 82
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
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: Southwest Metro Intermediate 288 · 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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
-72% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swmetro Alc 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
Swmetro Alc reports 52 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 4.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 72% below the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 72% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 53.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 25% above the Minnesota average and 3% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Southwest Metro Intermediate 288 spends $68,553 per pupil district-wide, above the Minnesota average of $21,113 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 33.1% from local sources (property taxes), 64.2% from the state, and 2.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Swmetro Alc 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 | 4.4:1 | ▼ 72% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.4% | ▲ 25% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 52 | top 21% | — | — |
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
53.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 25% 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
4.4:1
students per teacher
— 72% below state mean
Top 4% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
100.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$68,553
per pupil, district-wide
— above Minnesota avg of $21,113
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 52 Top 21% in Minnesota — larger than 79% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 4.4:1 -72% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 53.4% +25% vs state
NCES ID 270042004979
Student demographics
White 61.5%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
African American 7.7%
Two or More 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southwest Metro Intermediate 288, which includes Swmetro Alc.
$68,553
Per student
+225%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
+252%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 33.1%
State 64.2%
Federal 2.6%
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
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 3.3:1
- Enrollment
- 71
- Students per teacher
- 6.4:1
- Enrollment
- 63
- Students per teacher
- 5.2:1
- Enrollment
- 26
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Enrollment
- 23
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
Similar other schools in Chaska
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Chaska High School
Standard public school
1,495 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Early Childhood Special Education
Special-education school
184 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Swmetro Online Learning
Standard public school
115 students 3.3:1 students per teacher
Swmetro Prairie Care
Alternative education program
8 students
Swmetro Ccj
Alternative education program
2 students
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 Swmetro Alc
How many students attend Swmetro Alc?
Swmetro Alc has 52 students enrolled. It is a other school in CHASKA, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swmetro Alc?
The student-teacher ratio at Swmetro Alc is 4.4:1, which is 72% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 72% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Swmetro Alc?
53.4% of students at Swmetro Alc are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Swmetro Alc?
The largest demographic group at Swmetro Alc is White at 61.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in CHASKA, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swmetro Alc?
Swmetro Alc has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.