Enrollment
461
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 381941000888
Willow Park Elementary School — Fargo, ND
Federal NCES profile for Willow Park Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 52
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: West Fargo 6 · North Dakota
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)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 11.7:1 North Dakota avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.2%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+149% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Park Elementary School compares with North Dakota 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
Willow Park Elementary School reports 461 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 41.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the North Dakota state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 70.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 149% above the North Dakota average and 36% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 461 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 19.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding West Fargo 6 spends $17,878 per pupil district-wide, below the North Dakota average of $22,219 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.6% from local sources (property taxes), 52.9% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Willow Park Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.2% | ▲ 149% | 28.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 86% | — | — |
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
70.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 149% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 57% in North Dakota — lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$17,878
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Dakota avg of $22,219
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 461 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 461 Top 86% in North Dakota — larger than 14% of 499 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 41.0
Students per teacher 12:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 70.2% +149% vs state
NCES ID 381941000888
Student demographics
African American 37.5%
White 37.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
Asian 8.7%
Two or More 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 37.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 461:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 19.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Fargo 6, which includes Willow Park Elementary School.
$17,878
Per student
-20%
vs North Dakota
Avg $22,219
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 52.9%
Federal 11.4%
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
- 1,400
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,103
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 1,006
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Enrollment
- 799
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
Similar elementary schools in Fargo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Centennial Elementary School
Standard public school
639 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Bennett Elementary School
Standard public school
622 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Osgood Elem School
Standard public school
554 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Independence Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Elementary School
Standard public school
469 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Ed Clapp Elementary School
Standard public school
444 students 10:1 students per teacher
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 Willow Park Elementary School
How many students attend Willow Park Elementary School?
Willow Park Elementary School has 461 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Fargo, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Park Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Park Elementary School is 12:1, which is 3% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.7:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willow Park Elementary School?
70.2% of students at Willow Park Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Park Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Willow Park Elementary School is African American at 37.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Fargo, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Park Elementary School?
Willow Park Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.