Enrollment
363
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Blackburn Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Blackburn Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291548000708
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blackburn Elem. earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 33.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Blackburn Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blackburn Elem. ranks #2 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Independence 30 · Missouri
NCES ID 291548000708 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.9%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blackburn Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blackburn Elem.
Blackburn Elem. is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 363 students.
At 13:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.9% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 363 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 538 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #305.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 363 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students) and William Chrisman High (1,417 students) alongside Blackburn Elem..
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 Blackburn Elem. compares
Blackburn Elem. on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▲ 2% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.9% | ▼ 26% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 363 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
363
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 55% in Missouri - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.6%
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
$11,956
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 363 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 56.7%
African American 16.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
Two or More 11.6%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 56.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.9, Blackburn Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Blackburn Elem..
$11,956
Per student
-8%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 35.3%
Federal 21.8%
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 Blackburn Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William Chrisman High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Van Horn High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bridger Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blackburn Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other 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 (~363 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blackburn Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Blackburn Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 30'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 Blackburn Elem.
How many students attend Blackburn Elem.?
Blackburn Elem. has 363 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blackburn Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Blackburn Elem. is 13:1, which is 2% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blackburn Elem.?
33.9% of students at Blackburn Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blackburn Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Blackburn Elem. is White at 56.7% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blackburn Elem.?
Blackburn Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Blackburn Elem. rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Blackburn Elem. ranks #2 of 22 schools in Independence, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Blackburn Elem. a good school?
Blackburn Elem. earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools. 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 Independence 30?
Besides Blackburn Elem., Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students), William Chrisman High (1,417 students), and Van Horn High (1,067 students). See the Independence 30 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.