Enrollment
557
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Elk River, MN
Vandenberge Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Vandenberge Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 271137000517
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vandenberge Middle School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Minnesota schools.
- #6 of 6
- middle schools in Elk River · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 50.6:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 19.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Vandenberge Middle School has class sizes larger than 99% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vandenberge Middle School ranks #6 of 6 middle schools in Elk River, MN.
School address
District: Elk River Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 271137000517 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
50.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+220% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vandenberge Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vandenberge Middle School
Vandenberge Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Elk River, Minnesota, enrolling 557 students.
Class loads run heavy: 50.6:1 is larger than about 99% of Minnesota schools and 220% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 557 puts it in the larger 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 425 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #405, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 557 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Elk River Public School District also operates Rogers Senior High (1,888 students) and Elk River Senior High (1,562 students) alongside Vandenberge Middle School.
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 Vandenberge Middle School compares
Vandenberge Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 50.6:1 | ▲ 220% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.7% | ▼ 54% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
50.6:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
557
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
50.6:1
students per teacher
- 220% above state mean
Top 99% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.5%
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
$12,659
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 557 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 77.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
African American 6.6%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 77.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.4, Vandenberge Middle School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elk River Public School District, which includes Vandenberge Middle School.
$12,659
Per student
-17%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.4%
State 61.0%
Federal 7.6%
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 Vandenberge Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rogers Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elk River Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rogers Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vandenberge Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 40.2:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,562
- Students per teacher
- 30.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,077
- Students per teacher
- 53.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 953
- Students per teacher
- 45.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle 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 (~557 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~50.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vandenberge Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Vandenberge Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Elk River Public School District'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 Vandenberge Middle School
How many students attend Vandenberge Middle School?
Vandenberge Middle School has 557 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Elk River, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vandenberge Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Vandenberge Middle School is 50.6:1, which is 220% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 222% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vandenberge Middle School?
19.7% of students at Vandenberge Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vandenberge Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Vandenberge Middle School is White at 77.7% of enrollment, in Elk River, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vandenberge Middle School?
Vandenberge Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower 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 Vandenberge Middle School rank among middle schools in Elk River?
By Resource Investment Index, Vandenberge Middle School ranks #6 of 6 middle schools in Elk River, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Elk River on the city page.
Is Vandenberge Middle School a good school?
Vandenberge Middle School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Elk River Public School District?
Besides Vandenberge Middle School, Elk River Public School District also operates Rogers Senior High (1,888 students), Elk River Senior High (1,562 students), and Rogers Middle School (1,077 students). See the Elk River Public School District 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.