Enrollment
1,258
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Belton, MO
Belton High
Federal NCES profile for Belton High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 290462000055
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belton High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #2 of 8
- public schools in Belton · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 33.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Belton High has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belton High ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Belton, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belton High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belton High
Belton High is a large high school in Belton, Missouri, enrolling 1,258 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,258 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 82 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #42.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 315 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 48 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Belton 124 also operates Belton Middle School (641 students) and Cambridge Elem. (501 students) alongside Belton High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Belton High compares
Belton High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 8% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.3% | ▼ 28% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,258 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,258
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 67% in Missouri - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,550
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 315 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
65
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 48 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 57.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
African American 11.5%
Two or More 9.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 57.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Belton High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belton 124, which includes Belton High.
$12,550
Per student
-3%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.1%
State 34.8%
Federal 14.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Belton High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belton Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cambridge Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek Upper Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kentucky Trail Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belton High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,258 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belton High's federal record.
- Compare Belton High against another school. Compare schools
- Belton 124's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Belton High
How many students attend Belton High?
Belton High has 1,258 students enrolled. It is a high school in Belton, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belton High?
The student-teacher ratio at Belton High is 13.8:1, which is 8% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belton High?
33.3% of students at Belton High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belton High?
The largest demographic group at Belton High is White at 57.9% of enrollment, in Belton, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belton High?
Belton High has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Belton High rank among public schools in Belton?
By Resource Investment Index, Belton High ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Belton, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Belton on the city page.
Is Belton High a good school?
Belton High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Belton 124?
Besides Belton High, Belton 124 also operates Belton Middle School (641 students), Cambridge Elem. (501 students), and Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest (486 students). See the Belton 124 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.