The Biome

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

St. Louis, Missouri - 1 schools

At $20,335 per pupil, The Biome ranks #43 of 552 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending (Missouri districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

176
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$20,335
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

The Biome operates 1 public schools serving 176 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Missouri. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary 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 St. Louis City.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,335 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 56 of 552 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending. See how Missouri compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 10.6% local, 65.3% state, and 24.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles.

and 40.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.6% African American, 3.0% White, 2.4% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is The Biome, enrolling 167 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Enrollment across the district's NCES-reporting campuses fell 8.5% between 2022-23 and 2023-24 (176 to 161 students), and the student-teacher ratio tightened by 1.2 students per teacher as staffing held steadier than enrollment, per the NCES Common Core of Data annual universe files.

Of the district's $3,587,000 in reported FY2023 expenditures, 55.3% went to instruction, 41.2% to support services, and 0.2% to capital outlay, support-services-heavy relative to typical districts, reflecting spending on transportation, administration, or student services. Figures come from the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey's function-level breakdown, not the aggregate per-pupil figure above.

The Biome accounts for 94.9% of all The Biome student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of The Biome a distant remainder — means The Biome-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

The Biome reports 54.5% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

The Biome chronic absenteeism rate is 40.1% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

24.1%
Federal
65.3%
State
10.6%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in The Biome.

White 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
African American 88.6%
Multiracial 4.8%
Other 1.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

40.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in The Biome

School Enrollment
The Biome
Charter
167

How The Biome Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Missouri districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bronaugh R-Vii Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Miami R-I Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Sheldon R-Viii Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Gilman City R-Iv Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Everton R-Iii Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to The Biome's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Missouri

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Springfield R-Xii
22,937 students · 57 schools · $14,461/pupil
Compare vs The Biome →
Rockwood R-Vi
20,563 students · 31 schools · $12,527/pupil
Compare vs The Biome →
North Kansas City 74
20,561 students · 34 schools · $14,136/pupil
Compare vs The Biome →
Columbia 93
18,800 students · 36 schools · $13,936/pupil
Compare vs The Biome →
St. Louis City
18,321 students · 68 schools · $22,979/pupil
Compare vs The Biome →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare The Biome

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Springfield R-Xii →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in The Biome?

The Biome has 1 school, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 176 students.

How much does The Biome spend per student?

The Biome spends $20,335 per student.

What is the demographic composition of The Biome?

The Biome students are 88.6% African American, 3.0% White, 2.4% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.