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St James, Missouri - 3 schools
An equity score of 72/100 ranks St. James R-I #52 of 432 districts in Missouri (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,228 per pupil, St. James R-I ranks #182 of 549 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending (Missouri districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,666
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,228
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
St. James R-I operates 3 public schools serving 1,666 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Missouri. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Phelps County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,228 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 35.1% local, 37.2% state, and 27.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 72/100, ranked #52 of 432 in Missouri against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 259.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 16.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 90.5% White, 3.1% African American, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is St. James Middle, with a diversity index of 20.6/100.
Its largest campus is Lucy Wortham James Elem., enrolling 681 students (44% of the district's total enrollment).
Lucy Wortham James Elem. accounts for 40.9% of all St. James R-I student enrollment
That dominant concentration means St. James R-I-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
St. James R-I student-counselor ratio is 260:1 — 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 St. James R-I is typically wider than the St. James R-I-aggregate figure suggests.
St. James R-I chronic absenteeism rate is 16.9% — 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 St. James R-I is typically wider than the St. James R-I-aggregate figure suggests.
St. James R-I has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,666 students.
How much does St. James R-I spend per student?
St. James R-I spends $13,228 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #52 in Missouri.
What is the demographic composition of St. James R-I?
St. James R-I students are 90.5% White, 3.1% African American, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for St. James R-I?
St. James R-I has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #52 out of 432 districts in Missouri.