Enrollment
568
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia Heights, MN
Valley View Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valley View Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270951000402
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley View Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Columbia Heights · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley View Elementary has class sizes larger than 74% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley View Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Columbia Heights, MN.
School address
District: Columbia Heights Public School Dist · Minnesota
NCES ID 270951000402 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley View Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley View Elementary
Valley View Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, enrolling 568 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 72.6% of students qualify for free meals, 70% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 568 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 113 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #55.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (14%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students) and Columbia Academy (719 students) alongside Valley View Elementary.
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 Valley View Elementary compares
Valley View Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 70% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 74% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.6%
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.
Funding equity
$15,723
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 66.4%
White 13.7%
African American 12.7%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 2.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 66.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.1, Valley View Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Heights Public School Dist, which includes Valley View Elementary.
$15,723
Per student
+3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 63.6%
Federal 15.5%
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.
How Valley View Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Heights Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highland Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Park School for Innovation | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley View Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,141
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
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 (~568 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley View Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valley View Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia Heights Public School Dist'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 Valley View Elementary
How many students attend Valley View Elementary?
Valley View Elementary has 568 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia Heights, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley View Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley View Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 13% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley View Elementary?
72.6% of students at Valley View Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley View Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valley View Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 66.4% of enrollment, in Columbia Heights, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley View Elementary?
Valley View Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Valley View Elementary rank among schools in Columbia Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley View Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Columbia Heights, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia Heights on the city page.
Is Valley View Elementary a good school?
Valley View Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Columbia Heights Public School Dist?
Besides Valley View Elementary, Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students), Columbia Academy (719 students), and Highland Elementary (534 students). See the Columbia Heights Public School Dist district page for the complete list.
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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.