An equity score of 75/100 ranks University Academy #44 of 433 districts in Missouri (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,199 per pupil, University Academy ranks #138 of 552 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending (Missouri districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,107
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$15,199
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
University Academy operates 3 public schools serving 1,107 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Missouri. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 high 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 Jackson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,199 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 552 Missouri districts by per-pupil spending. See how Missouri compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 18.2% local, 56.2% state, and 25.6% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 75/100, ranked #44 of 433 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 268.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 8.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.1% African American, 3.2% White, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is University Academy-Lower, with a diversity index of 12.2/100.
Its largest campus is University Academy-Lower, enrolling 609 students (55% of the district's total enrollment).
University Academy-Lower accounts for 54.8% of all University Academy student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of University Academy a distant remainder — means University Academy-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
University Academy school enrollment varies 2.6× across entities
University Academy school enrollment ranges from 237 students (lowest) to 609 students (highest), a spread of 372 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.
University Academy reports 99.2% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. 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.
University Academy student-counselor ratio is 269:1 — 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 University Academy is typically wider than the University Academy-aggregate figure suggests.
University Academy chronic absenteeism rate is 8.6% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)
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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.
University Academy has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 middle, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,107 students.
How much does University Academy spend per student?
University Academy spends $15,199 per student. The district has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #44 in Missouri.
What is the demographic composition of University Academy?
University Academy students are 94.1% African American, 3.2% White, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for University Academy?
University Academy has an equity score of 75/100, ranking #44 out of 433 districts in Missouri.