Enrollment
23
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 270042005091
Swmetro Lakeside Academy — Buffalo, MN
Federal NCES profile for Swmetro Lakeside Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 14/100.
👥 Class size 12
🌟 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)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swmetro Lakeside Academy 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 Lakeside Academy reports 23 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 1.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 22:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 38% 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 38% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 63.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 49% above the Minnesota average and 23% 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 14/100 (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 Lakeside Academy 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 | 22:1 | ▲ 38% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.6% | ▲ 49% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 23 | top 12% | — | — |
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
63.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 49% 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
22:1
students per teacher
— 38% above state mean
Top 90% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 23 Top 12% in Minnesota — larger than 88% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 1.0
Students per teacher 22:1 +38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 63.6% +49% vs state
NCES ID 270042005091
Student demographics
White 73.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 8.7%
African American 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.3%
Largest group: White at 73.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southwest Metro Intermediate 288, which includes Swmetro Lakeside Academy.
$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
- 52
- Students per teacher
- 4.4:1
- Enrollment
- 26
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
Similar other schools in Buffalo
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) 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 Swmetro Lakeside Academy
How many students attend Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
Swmetro Lakeside Academy has 23 students enrolled. It is a other school in BUFFALO, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Swmetro Lakeside Academy is 22:1, which is 38% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
63.6% of students at Swmetro Lakeside Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
The largest demographic group at Swmetro Lakeside Academy is White at 73.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in BUFFALO, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
Swmetro Lakeside Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (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.