Cowern Elementary

Cowern Elementary is an elementary-level community of moderately sized scale in NORTH SAINT PAUL, Minnesota, part of North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale, instructing 413 students in grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 344 students per school, that is 20% larger than typical.

Within North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale, which oversees 20 schools and 10,754 students, Cowern Elementary is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Cowern Elementary reports that the largest single group is Asian at 33%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest breaks down as 21% Black, 20% White, 14% Hispanic, 11% multiracial. By comparison, Ramsey County as a whole is about 15% Asian, so the school skews noticeably more Asian than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 16.6:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Cowern Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Around 72% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Ramsey County (around 57%), the school's rate is north of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Cowern Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 26.4%, the actual is 27.9%, a residual of +1.5 points.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Ramsey County put median household earnings sit near $81,568, about 46% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. Cowern Elementary is one of 302 public schools in Ramsey County (combined enrollment of about 94,437 students).

The closest other public school is Lionsgate Academy AIM, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Cowern Elementary at 1st of 5; the average score across the group is 24.3%.

The campus sits in a residential setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Cowern Elementary's enrollment has changed only slightly since 2018, when it stood at 413 (now 413). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 47% to 20%. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 12.5:1 in 2018 to 16.6:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.