- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 7.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Turtle Lake, ND
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 381850000640
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median.
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.7:1
- students per teacher
- 19.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 97
- students enrolled
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School has class sizes near the North Dakota median. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Turtle Lake-Mercer 72 · North Dakota
NCES ID 381850000640 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+1 students YoY
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School held near 106 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+1 headcount).
Teacher FTE held 10.4 → 10.4 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
+1 students YoY 381850000640 · Turtle Lake, ND Other · SMALL · TRAD
97 enr · 9.7:1 · 19.0% lunch · RII 56
Nearest enrollment peer: Turtle Lake-Mercer High School (85 students)
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School held near 106 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+1 headcount). Teacher FTE held 10.4 → 10.4 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Dakota schools → · Find another →
How Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School compares
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.7:1 | ▼ 18% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.0% | ▼ 33% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 97 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
97
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
19.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 33% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$17,766
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $19,475
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 92.8%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
African American 1.0%
Largest group: White at 92.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.7, Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School is less mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
District finance for Turtle Lake-Mercer 72 reports $17,766 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle Lake-Mercer High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
Similar other schools in Turtle Lake
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~97 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.7:1)
Frequently asked questions about Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School
How many students attend Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School?
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School has 97 students enrolled. It is a public school in Turtle Lake, ND. CCD year-over-year: 105 (2022-23) → 106 (2023-24), nearly flat (+1).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School is 9.7:1, which is 18% lower than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 38% 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 Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School?
19.0% of students at Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School is White at 92.8% of enrollment, in Turtle Lake, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School?
Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
What other schools are in Turtle Lake-Mercer 72?
Besides Turtle Lake-Mercer Elementary School, Turtle Lake-Mercer 72 also operates Turtle Lake-Mercer High School (85 students). See the Turtle Lake-Mercer 72 district page for the complete list.