Banfield Elementary

Set in AUSTIN, Minnesota, Banfield Elementary is a sizable primary school, operated by Austin Public School District. It teaches 574 students across grades pre-K through 4. By comparison, Minnesota's public schools average about 344 students each, so Banfield Elementary sits 67% larger than that benchmark.

Austin Public School District comprises 12 schools with combined enrollment of 5,385 students; Banfield Elementary is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Banfield Elementary reports that the largest single group is White at 39%, but no single group is in the majority. Other groups include 26% Hispanic, 18% Asian, 9% Black, 4% Pacific Islander. The wider county runs roughly 75% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Banfield Elementary has 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Banfield Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 61% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Banfield Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 32.2%, the actual is 27.8%, a residual of -4.4 points.

Across the wider county, Mower County reports that the typical household earns roughly $73,074 per year, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 7%. Across Mower County's 34 public schools (combined enrollment of about 7,434 students), Banfield Elementary is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Oakland Education Center, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 4 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Banfield Elementary ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, below the local average of 28.7%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Banfield Elementary has increased 30%, going from 443 students in 2018 to 574 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share declined from 57% to 39%. Class-load math has grew: from 13.1:1 in 2018 to 14.5:1 in 2025.

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