Enrollment
362
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Cassell Park Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cassell Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291548003366
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cassell Park Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #7 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 65.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cassell Park Elementary has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cassell Park Elementary ranks #7 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Independence 30 · Missouri
NCES ID 291548003366 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cassell Park Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cassell Park Elementary
Cassell Park Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 362 students.
At 12.5:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 362 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 155 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #99.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 Cassell Park Elementary.
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 Cassell Park Elementary compares
Cassell Park Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.3% | ▲ 42% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 48% in Missouri - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.7%
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 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.2%
White 30.7%
African American 14.9%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.0, Cassell Park Elementary 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 Cassell Park Elementary.
$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 Cassell Park Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William Chrisman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Van Horn High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bridger Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cassell Park Elementary'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 (~362 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cassell Park Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cassell Park Elementary 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 Cassell Park Elementary
How many students attend Cassell Park Elementary?
Cassell Park Elementary has 362 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cassell Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cassell Park Elementary is 12.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cassell Park Elementary?
65.3% of students at Cassell Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cassell Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cassell Park Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 44.2% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cassell Park Elementary?
Cassell Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Cassell Park Elementary rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Cassell Park Elementary ranks #7 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 Cassell Park Elementary a good school?
Cassell Park Elementary earns 44/100 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 Cassell Park Elementary, 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.