Enrollment
282
Elementary
DISTRICT 296 · STATE 344
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·BEMIDJI PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 270444000194
Northern Elementary
8711 IRVINE AVE NW, BEMIDJI, MN 56601 · (218) 333-3260 · Beltrami County
GRADES PK–03ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL282 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
20 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.3:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
34%
97 students
DISTRICT 53% · STATE 48%
Community
0
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 70 | 25% |
| Grade 1 | 60 | 21% |
| Grade 2 | 66 | 23% |
| Grade 3 | 86 | 30% |
Student demographics
37%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 47% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Northern Elementary→Gene Dillon Elementary School
Based on grade levels within Bemidji Public School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MCA 2024-25 . % Meets or Exceeds StandardsEnglish Language Arts
57.0%
MN avg 49.7%
Math
69.8%
MN avg 45.3%
What this means: On the MCA, Minnesota's statewide test, about 57 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 70 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
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of MN schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
61.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
46.6%
based on MN schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+14.7pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 61% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 47% typical for Minnesota schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 15 points, placing it in Minnesota's top 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Northern Elementary
Northern Elementary's state test result (61.2% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Elementary this school | 282 | 34.4% | 61.2% |
| EAGLE LAKE ELEMENTARY EAGLE LAKE | 270 | 32.2% | 63.0% |
| Adams Elementary FERGUS FALLS | 254 | 35.4% | 59.6% |
| LAKE OF THE WOODS ELEMENTARY BAUDETTE | 234 | 35.5% | 30.8% |
| Kaleidoscope Charter Elementary Sch OTSEGO | 300 | 35.0% | 31.4% |
| WATERVILLE ELEMENTARY WATERVILLE | 264 | 35.6% | 42.1% |
Matched among Minnesota elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Northern Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Minnesota | In Beltrami County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 61.2% | #120 of 844 | #2 of 13 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 69.8% | #121 of 844 | #2 of 13 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.0% | #262 of 844 | #2 of 13 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 282 | #670 of 1,130 | #6 of 17 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #458 of 769 | #5 of 7 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 37.5% | #499 of 796 | #5 of 7 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 34.4% | #615 of 942 | #15 of 15 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -44.4% | #14 of 499 | #2 of 7 |
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. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
282
-25 (-8%) vs 2020
-34% since 1990-91, when it was 429
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
was 15.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 282 | 19.8 | 14.2:1 | 34% (97) |
| 2023-24 | 285 | 21.2 | 13.4:1 | 37% (105) |
| 2022-23 | 308 | 23.2 | 13.3:1 | 35% (109) |
| 2020-21 | 307 | 20 | 15.3:1 | 29% (88) |
| 2017-18 | 507 | 28.4 | 17.8:1 | 37% (188) |
| 2015-16 | 533 | 30 | 17.8:1 | 46% (243) |
| 2010-11 | 637 | 35 | 18.2:1 | 41% (262) |
| 2000-01 | 365 | 23 | 15.9:1 | 27% (98) |
| 1990-91 | 429 | 20 | 21.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Northern Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students down 44% (507 to 282); teachers down 30% (28.4 to 19.8).
About Northern Elementary
Northern Elementary is an elementary school in BEMIDJI, Minnesota, reachable at (218) 333-3260. Enrollment stands at 282 students, covering pre-K through 3.
Federal data list 14 schools in Bemidji Public School District, with 4,722 students enrolled.
More than half of enrollment at Northern Elementary is White: 77%. The next largest groups are 16% Native American, 4% Hispanic, and 3% multiracial. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 37%.
For every teacher at Northern Elementary, there are about 14.2 students; the school has 19.8 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average ratio among elementary schools in Minnesota is similar, at 13.7:1. The eligibility rate for free or reduced-price meals is 34%. Across public schools in Beltrami County, the average is 54%.
A school in Minnesota with Northern Elementary's free or reduced-price lunch share would be expected to score about 46.6%. Northern Elementary scores 61.2%.
The county, Beltrami County, is where the school is located. The median household earns about $68,975 a year, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 32%, and roughly 10% of residents are in poverty. Beltrami County has 38 public schools with about 8,088 students, including Northern Elementary.
Northern Elementary is about 3.4 miles from Voyageurs Expeditionary MS, its nearest public school. Northern Elementary has at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts Northern Elementary at 1st of 8.
NCES lists the school's locale as Rural: Fringe. That means it sits in rural territory close to an urban area.
Federal enrollment counts decreased from 307 (2020-21) to 282 (2024-25). Students per teacher dropped from 15.3 in 2020-21 to 14.2 in 2024-25.
The Northern Elementary discussion page is a place for special education services, counseling, and support programs. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Beltrami County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
46,512
Census ACS
Median income
$68,975
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
38
8,088 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Bemidji Public School District
- Bemidji Senior HighHigh · 1,537 students
- Bemidji MiddleMiddle · 967 students
- Gene Dillon Elementary SchoolElementary · 667 students
- Lincoln ElementaryElementary · 320 students
- Horace May ElementaryElementary · 300 students
- J.W. Smith ElementaryElementary · 238 students
Other schools in BEMIDJI
- Bemidji Senior HighHigh · 1,537 students
- Bemidji MiddleMiddle · 967 students
- Gene Dillon Elementary SchoolElementary · 667 students
- Lincoln ElementaryElementary · 320 students
- Horace May ElementaryElementary · 300 students
- J.W. Smith ElementaryElementary · 238 students
Other Northern Elementary schools
5 other US public schools in 3 states are named Northern Elementary. Northern Elementary is the 6th largest of the 6.
- Northern Elementary SchoolButler, KY · 501 students
- Northern Elementary SchoolLexington, KY · 424 students
- Northern Elementary SchoolGeorgetown, KY · 414 students
- Northern Elementary SchoolDillsburg, PA · 397 students
- Northern Elementary SchoolSomerset, KY · 352 students
Nearby schools
- Voyageurs Expeditionary MS3.4 mi · 44
- Voyageurs Expeditionary School3.4 mi · 83
- Aurora Waasakone Community of Learn3.5 mi · 133
- Paul Bunyan Center4.1 mi · 118
- Trek North Middle School4.3 mi · 109
- TREKNORTH HIGH SCHOOL4.3 mi · 144
Frequently asked questions
About Northern ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Northern Elementary?
Northern Elementary enrolls approximately 282 students in grades PK-03.
What grades does Northern Elementary serve?
Northern Elementary serves grades PK-03.
How many teachers does Northern Elementary have?
Northern Elementary employs 20 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.2:1.
What is the student diversity at Northern Elementary?
Student demographics at Northern Elementary are roughly 77% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more.
What district is Northern Elementary in?
Northern Elementary is part of Bemidji Public School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.