STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a K-5 school of micro-enrollment scale in Sterling, North Dakota, operated by STERLING 35, instructing 21 students in grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 90% leaner than the typical public school in North Dakota, which averages around 212 students.

Operationally, STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL answers to STERLING 35, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

Demographically, STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL lists that the student body is overwhelmingly White (100%). The wider county runs roughly 86% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully more White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, On paper, STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has 3 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 7.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 11.4:1, putting STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL tighter than the state norm the norm. About 43% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than Burleigh County's rate of about 24%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Burleigh County) shows that median household income runs about $86,851, 39% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Across Burleigh County's 37 public schools (combined enrollment of about 14,427 students), STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is MENOKEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, roughly 11.3 miles away.

The campus sits in an outlying setting.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has contracted 5%, going from 22 students in 2018 to 21 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 91% to 100% across the same window. Class-load math has rose: from 4.8:1 in 2018 to 7.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, members of the STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.