Enrollment
226
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Plymouth, MN
Tier Three
Federal NCES profile for Tier Three, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270002505316
👥 S:T ratio 86
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tier Three earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #5 of 7
- schools in Plymouth · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 3.4:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 58.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Tier Three has class sizes smaller than 98% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tier Three ranks #5 of 7 schools in Plymouth, MN.
School address
District: Intermediate School District 287 · Minnesota
NCES ID 270002505316 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-78% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tier Three compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tier Three
Tier Three is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Plymouth, Minnesota, enrolling 226 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.4:1, Tier Three is leaner than roughly 98% of Minnesota schools and 78% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 226 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 133 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #36.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 188 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Intermediate School District 287 also operates Tier Two (274 students) and West Education Center Alternative (99 students) alongside Tier Three.
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 Tier Three compares
Tier Three on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3.4:1 | ▼ 78% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.1% | ▲ 36% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 226 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.4:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
226
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
3.4:1
students per teacher
- 78% below state mean
Top 2% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
56.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Support staff
Counselors1.2 FTE
Per 188 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 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
African American 48.2%
White 25.7%
Two or More 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Asian 6.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Tier Three is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
How Tier Three Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier Two | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Education Center Alternative | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hennepin Gateway to College | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Education Center Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Education Center Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tier Three's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 4.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 73
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 48
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 37
- Students per teacher
- 7.4:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
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 (~226 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~3.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tier Three's federal record.
- Compare Tier Three against another school. Compare schools
- Intermediate School District 287'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 Tier Three
How many students attend Tier Three?
Tier Three has 226 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Plymouth, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tier Three?
The student-teacher ratio at Tier Three is 3.4:1, which is 78% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 78% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tier Three?
58.1% of students at Tier Three are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tier Three?
The largest demographic group at Tier Three is African American at 48.2% of enrollment, in Plymouth, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tier Three?
Tier Three has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tier Three rank among schools in Plymouth?
By Resource Investment Index, Tier Three ranks #5 of 7 schools in Plymouth, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Plymouth on the city page.
Is Tier Three a good school?
Tier Three earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Intermediate School District 287?
Besides Tier Three, Intermediate School District 287 also operates Tier Two (274 students), West Education Center Alternative (99 students), and Hennepin Gateway to College (73 students). See the Intermediate School District 287 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.