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What do you wish you knew before starting at Cowern Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
413
Elementary
DISTRICT 559 · STATE 344
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NORTH ST. PAUL-MAPLEWOOD OAKDALE·NCES 272385001168
Cowern Elementary
2131 N MARGARET ST, NORTH SAINT PAUL, MN 55109 · (651) 748-6800 · Ramsey County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL413 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.6:1
25 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.6:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
72%
297 students
DISTRICT 64% · STATE 48%
Community
4
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 26 | 6% |
| Kindergarten | 63 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 66 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 56 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 70 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 58 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 74 | 18% |
Student demographics
78%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 78% · STATE 60% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MCA 2024-25 . % Meets or Exceeds StandardsEnglish Language Arts
29.9%
MN avg 49.7%
Math
33.0%
MN avg 45.3%
What this means: On the MCA, Minnesota's statewide test, about 30 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 33 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Minnesota schools, those numbers are about 50 and 45.
Source: MCA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
27.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
26.4%
based on MN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 28% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 26% typical for Minnesota schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Minnesota's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Where Cowern Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Minnesota | In Ramsey County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 27.9% | #690 of 844 | #42 of 93 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 33.0% | #658 of 844 | #39 of 93 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 29.9% | #705 of 844 | #47 of 93 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 413 | #453 of 1,130 | #45 of 119 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.6:1 | #677 of 769 | #71 of 83 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 77.5% | #6 of 796 | #5 of 86 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list.
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
413
0 (0%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
16.6:1
was 12.5:1
% White
20%
was 47%
% Hispanic
14%
was 13%
% Black
21%
was 11%
% Asian
33%
was 14%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free or reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 413 | 24.9 | 16.6:1 | 72% (297) |
| 2023-24 | 397 | 35 | 11.3:1 | 73% (291) |
| 2022-23 | 403 | 30.5 | 13.2:1 | 71% (287) |
| 2017-18 | 413 | 33 | 12.5:1 | 52% (214) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Cowern Elementary.
About Cowern Elementary
Cowern Elementary is a public medium-sized elementary school in NORTH SAINT PAUL, Minnesota. It covers pre-K through 5, with a total enrollment of 413 students. Statewide, elementary schools in Minnesota average about 344 students each.
In North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale, 20 schools enroll a combined 10,754 students.
Asian students are the largest group at Cowern Elementary, with 33% of enrollment. Beyond that, enrollment is 21% Black, 20% White, 14% Hispanic, and 11% multiracial. The Asian share of the county population is lower, at 15%. Cowern Elementary has a diversity index of 78%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Staffing totals 24.9 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 16.6:1. For comparison, elementary schools in Minnesota average 13.7:1. A measure often used for student poverty, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, stands at 72%. The gap from the 57% average for public schools in Ramsey County is 15 points.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, Cowern Elementary would score about 26.4%. It scores 27.9%, 1.5 points above that figure.
Recent Census Bureau figures for Ramsey County show that median household income is about $81,568, 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 8% of people live in poverty. Federal data list 302 public schools in Ramsey County, with a combined enrollment of about 94,437.
Lionsgate Academy AIM is the closest public school, about 0.5 miles away in a straight line. There are at least 8 more public schools inside five miles. By average proficiency, Cowern Elementary is 1st among 5 schools close by.
Federal records code the school's setting as Suburb: Large.
Enrollment went from 413 in 2017-18 to 413 in 2024-25, a change of zero students. The White share of enrollment decreased from 47% to 20% over the same period. The ratio of students to teachers went from 12.5:1 to 16.6:1 over the same years.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Cowern Elementary. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Ramsey County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
542,945
Census ACS
Median income
$81,568
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
46%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
302
94,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale
- Tartan Senior HighHigh · 1,687 students
- North Senior HighHigh · 1,649 students
- John Glenn MiddleMiddle · 1,073 students
- Skyview Community MiddleMiddle · 1,029 students
- Carver ElementaryElementary · 898 students
- Justice Alan Page Elementary SchoolElementary · 804 students
Other schools in NORTH SAINT PAUL
- North Senior HighHigh · 1,649 students
- Richardson ElementaryElementary · 654 students
- North Metro Flex AcademyElementary · 146 students
- The Next StepHigh · 84 students
- 622 Online High SchoolHigh · 74 students
- Lionsgate Academy AIMHigh · 51 students
Nearby schools
- Lionsgate Academy AIM0.5 mi · 51
- The Next Step0.5 mi · 84
- North Metro Flex Academy0.6 mi · 146
- North Metro Flex Middle School0.6 mi · 44
- Justice Alan Page Elementary School0.7 mi · 804
- North Senior High0.7 mi · 1,649
Frequently asked questions
About Cowern ElementaryHow large is Cowern Elementary?
Cowern Elementary enrolls approximately 413 students in grades PK-05.
Is Cowern Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Cowern Elementary is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does Cowern Elementary have?
Cowern Elementary employs 25 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 16.6:1.
What is the student diversity at Cowern Elementary?
Student demographics at Cowern Elementary are roughly 20% White, 14% Hispanic, 21% Black, 33% Asian, 11% Two or more.
Is Cowern Elementary public or private?
Cowern Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.