Enrollment
279
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · White Bear Lake, MN
Willow Lane Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Willow Lane Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 274236001798
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow Lane Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #6 of 8
- schools in White Bear Lake · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 58.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow Lane Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Lane Elementary ranks #6 of 8 schools in White Bear Lake, MN.
School address
District: White Bear Lake School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 274236001798 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Lane Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow Lane Elementary
Willow Lane Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, enrolling 279 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9:1, Willow Lane Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of Minnesota schools and 43% 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 58.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 279 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 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #33.
Its student body is led by White (29%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
White Bear Lake School District also operates White Bear North Campus Senior (1,359 students) and White Bear South Campus Senior (1,111 students) alongside Willow Lane 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 Willow Lane Elementary compares
Willow Lane 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 | 9:1 | ▼ 43% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.7% | ▲ 37% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 279 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
279
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
9:1
students per teacher
- 43% below state mean
Top 15% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.7%
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
$15,098
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
11
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 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 29.4%
African American 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 14.0%
Asian 11.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 29.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.4, Willow Lane Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for White Bear Lake School District, which includes Willow Lane Elementary.
$15,098
Per student
-1%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.3%
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 Willow Lane Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Bear North Campus Senior | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Bear South Campus Senior | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunrise Park Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Matoska International | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow Lane Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,359
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,111
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 922
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 543
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~279 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow Lane Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Willow Lane Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- White Bear Lake 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 Willow Lane Elementary
How many students attend Willow Lane Elementary?
Willow Lane Elementary has 279 students enrolled. It is a public school in White Bear Lake, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Lane Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Lane Elementary is 9:1, which is 43% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 43% 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 Willow Lane Elementary?
58.7% of students at Willow Lane Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Lane Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Willow Lane Elementary is White at 29.4% of enrollment, in White Bear Lake, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Lane Elementary?
Willow Lane Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Willow Lane Elementary rank among schools in White Bear Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Lane Elementary ranks #6 of 8 schools in White Bear Lake, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in White Bear Lake on the city page.
Is Willow Lane Elementary a good school?
Willow Lane Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 White Bear Lake School District?
Besides Willow Lane Elementary, White Bear Lake School District also operates White Bear North Campus Senior (1,359 students), White Bear South Campus Senior (1,111 students), and Central Middle (922 students). See the White Bear Lake 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.