Enrollment
142
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 274216003521
The Alternative Program (Tap) — Plymouth, MN
Federal NCES profile for The Alternative Program (Tap), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 10/100.
👥 Class size 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 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: Wayzata Public School District · 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)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
78:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
+391% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.9%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Alternative Program (Tap) 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
The Alternative Program (Tap) reports 142 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 2.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 78:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 391% 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 391% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 42.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 0% above the Minnesota average and 17% below 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 Wayzata Public School District spends $17,753 per pupil district-wide, below the Minnesota average of $21,113 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 44.6% from local sources (property taxes), 48.8% from the state, and 6.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 The Alternative Program (Tap) 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 | 78:1 | ▲ 391% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.9% | ▲ 0% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 142 | top 37% | — | — |
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
42.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 0% 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
78:1
students per teacher
— 391% above state mean
Top 99% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 1% 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
$17,753
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 142 Top 37% in Minnesota — larger than 63% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 2.0
Students per teacher 78:1 +391% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 42.9% +0% vs state
NCES ID 274216003521
Student demographics
African American 38.7%
White 37.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 3.5%
Largest group: African American at 38.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wayzata Public School District, which includes The Alternative Program (Tap).
$17,753
Per student
-16%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 48.8%
Federal 6.7%
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
- 3,781
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,342
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
Similar high schools in Plymouth
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Wayzata High
Standard public school
3,781 students 22.9:1 students per teacher
Robbinsdale Armstrong Senior High
Standard public school
1,840 students 30.5:1 students per teacher
Wayzata Transition School
Special-education school
37 students 7.5:1 students per teacher
School #519
Alternative education program
1 students 1:1 students per teacher
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 The Alternative Program (Tap)
How many students attend The Alternative Program (Tap)?
The Alternative Program (Tap) has 142 students enrolled. It is a high school in PLYMOUTH, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Alternative Program (Tap)?
The student-teacher ratio at The Alternative Program (Tap) is 78:1, which is 391% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 391% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at The Alternative Program (Tap)?
42.9% of students at The Alternative Program (Tap) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Alternative Program (Tap)?
The largest demographic group at The Alternative Program (Tap) is African American at 38.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in PLYMOUTH, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Alternative Program (Tap)?
The Alternative Program (Tap) has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F) based on 4 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.