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Jefferson City, Missouri - 16 schools
An equity score of 53/100 ranks Jefferson City #189 of 432 districts in Missouri (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,977 per pupil, Jefferson City ranks #270 of 549 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending (Missouri districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
8,683
Total Enrollment
16
Schools
$11,977
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Jefferson City operates 16 public schools serving 8,683 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Missouri. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 elementary, 2 high, 2 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Cole County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,977 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 549 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending. See how Missouri compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 66.7% local, 19.0% state, and 14.4% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 53/100, ranked #189 of 432 in Missouri against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 16 schools offering Advanced Placement (26 AP courses district-wide), a 312.5:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 22.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.1% White, 19.4% African American, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is South Elem., with a diversity index of 71.1/100.
Its largest campus is Jefferson City High, enrolling 1,353 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Callaway Hills Elem., at 224 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Jefferson City High accounts for 15.6% of all Jefferson City student enrollment
That concentration means Jefferson City-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Jefferson City school enrollment varies 6.0× across entities
Jefferson City school enrollment ranges from 224 students (lowest) to 1,353 students (highest), a spread of 1,129 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Jefferson City has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Jefferson City student-counselor ratio is 313:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Jefferson City is typically wider than the Jefferson City-aggregate figure suggests.
Jefferson City chronic absenteeism rate is 22.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Jefferson City is typically wider than the Jefferson City-aggregate figure suggests.
Jefferson City has 16 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 11 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 8,683 students.
How much does Jefferson City spend per student?
Jefferson City spends $11,977 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #189 in Missouri.
What is the demographic composition of Jefferson City?
Jefferson City students are 59.1% White, 19.4% African American, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% Asian, averaged across 16 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Jefferson City?
Jefferson City has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #189 out of 432 districts in Missouri.