Enrollment
34
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 272142000413
West Central Academy-S — Moorhead, MN
Federal NCES profile for West Central Academy-S, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 53/100.
👥 Class size 76
🌟 Gifted program 30
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: Moorhead Area Public Schools · 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)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.1:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
-62% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Central Academy-S 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
West Central Academy-S reports 34 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 7.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 6.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 62% below the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 62% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 72.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 68% above the Minnesota average and 39% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Moorhead Area Public Schools spends $21,867 per pupil district-wide, above the Minnesota average of $21,113 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 19.3% from local sources (property taxes), 64.8% from the state, and 15.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-), calculated from 2 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 West Central Academy-S 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 | 6.1:1 | ▼ 62% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.1% | ▲ 68% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 34 | top 16% | — | — |
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
72.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 68% 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
6.1:1
students per teacher
— 62% below state mean
Top 8% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$21,867
per pupil, district-wide
— above Minnesota avg of $21,113
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 34 Top 16% in Minnesota — larger than 84% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 7.0
Students per teacher 6.1:1 -62% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 72.1% +68% vs state
NCES ID 272142000413
Student demographics
White 29.4%
African American 26.5%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 20.6%
Largest group: White at 29.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Moorhead Area Public Schools, which includes West Central Academy-S.
$21,867
Per student
+4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 19.3%
State 64.8%
Federal 15.9%
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
- 2,158
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
Similar other schools in Moorhead
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 West Central Academy-S
How many students attend West Central Academy-S?
West Central Academy-S has 34 students enrolled. It is a other school in MOORHEAD, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Central Academy-S?
The student-teacher ratio at West Central Academy-S is 6.1:1, which is 62% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 62% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Central Academy-S?
72.1% of students at West Central Academy-S are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Central Academy-S?
The largest demographic group at West Central Academy-S is White at 29.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in MOORHEAD, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Central Academy-S?
West Central Academy-S has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.