Enrollment
453
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, MO
Blue Ridge Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Blue Ridge Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 290100000298
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Ridge 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.
- #15 of 19
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 55.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Ridge Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Ridge Elem. ranks #15 of 19 schools in Columbia, MO.
School address
District: Columbia 93 · Missouri
NCES ID 290100000298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Ridge Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Ridge Elem.
Blue Ridge Elem. is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, Missouri, enrolling 453 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 55.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 453 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 291 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #131.
Its student body is led by African American (36%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Center for Early Lrning-North (458 students): Blue Ridge Elem. is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.7:1 vs 8.2:1).
Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students) and Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students) alongside Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge Elem. compares
Blue Ridge 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 | 13.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.6% | ▲ 21% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 65% in Missouri - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$13,719
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 346 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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
African American 35.8%
White 26.5%
Hispanic or Latino 19.6%
Two or More 14.3%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 35.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.2, Blue Ridge Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes Blue Ridge Elem..
$13,719
Per student
+6%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.5%
State 25.3%
Federal 10.2%
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 Blue Ridge Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| David H. Hickman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Bridge Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muriel W. Battle High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beulah Ralph Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Ridge Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,492
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~453 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Ridge Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Blue Ridge Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia 93'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 Blue Ridge Elem.
How many students attend Blue Ridge Elem.?
Blue Ridge Elem. has 453 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Ridge Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Ridge Elem. is 13.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blue Ridge Elem.?
55.6% of students at Blue Ridge Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Ridge Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Blue Ridge Elem. is African American at 35.8% of enrollment, in Columbia, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Ridge Elem.?
Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge Elem. rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Ridge Elem. ranks #15 of 19 schools in Columbia, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Blue Ridge Elem. a good school?
Blue Ridge 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 Columbia 93?
Besides Blue Ridge Elem., Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students), Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students), and Muriel W. Battle High School (1,492 students). See the Columbia 93 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.