Enrollment
23
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buffalo, MN
Swmetro Lakeside Academy
Federal NCES profile for Swmetro Lakeside Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 19/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270042005091
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Swmetro Lakeside Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Buffalo · Resource Index
- 19
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 63.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Swmetro Lakeside Academy has class sizes larger than 90% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Swmetro Lakeside Academy ranks #4 of 4 schools in Buffalo, MN.
School address
District: Southwest Metro Intermediate 288 · Minnesota
NCES ID 270042005091 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+46% 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
What stands out at Swmetro Lakeside Academy
Swmetro Lakeside Academy is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Buffalo, Minnesota, enrolling 23 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23:1 is larger than about 90% of Minnesota schools and 46% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 23 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 87 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #80, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 44/100).
Southwest Metro Intermediate 288 also operates Swmetro Online Learning (115 students) and Swmetro Level 4 Programs (71 students) alongside Swmetro Lakeside Academy.
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 Swmetro Lakeside Academy compares
Swmetro Lakeside Academy on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23:1 | ▲ 46% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.6% | ▲ 49% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 23 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
23
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
23:1
students per teacher
- 46% above state mean
Top 90% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 43.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.5, Swmetro Lakeside Academy is about as mixed as the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
How Swmetro Lakeside Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swmetro Online Learning | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Swmetro Level 4 Programs | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Swmetro Shakopee Special Ed | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Swmetro Alc | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Swmetro Buffalo-Transitions | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Swmetro Lakeside Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 71
- Students per teacher
- 2.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 63
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 52
- Students per teacher
- 2.6:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 26
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other 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 (~23 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Swmetro Lakeside Academy's federal record.
- Compare Swmetro Lakeside Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Southwest Metro Intermediate 288'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 Swmetro Lakeside Academy
How many students attend Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
Swmetro Lakeside Academy has 23 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Buffalo, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Swmetro Lakeside Academy is 23:1, which is 46% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Buffalo, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swmetro Lakeside Academy?
Swmetro Lakeside Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Swmetro Lakeside Academy rank among schools in Buffalo?
By Resource Investment Index, Swmetro Lakeside Academy ranks #4 of 4 schools in Buffalo, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Buffalo on the city page.
Is Swmetro Lakeside Academy a good school?
Swmetro Lakeside Academy earns 19/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Southwest Metro Intermediate 288?
Besides Swmetro Lakeside Academy, Southwest Metro Intermediate 288 also operates Swmetro Online Learning (115 students), Swmetro Level 4 Programs (71 students), and Swmetro Shakopee Special Ed (63 students). See the Southwest Metro Intermediate 288 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.