Enrollment
314
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kansas City, MO
Center Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Center Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 290825000224
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Center Elem. earns 56/100 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 48
- elementary schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 99.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Center Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Center Elem. ranks #7 of 48 elementary schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
NCES ID 290825000224 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+115% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Center Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Center Elem.
Center Elem. is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 314 students.
At 12.1:1, 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 is high: 99.1% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 314 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 221 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 314 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Center 58 spends $16,648 per pupil, 29% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kansas City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ewing Marion Kauffman Middle (559 students): Center Elem. is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.1:1 vs 11.2:1).
Center 58 also operates Center Sr. High (679 students) and Center Middle (493 students) alongside Center 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 Center Elem. compares
Center 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.1% | ▲ 115% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 314 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
314
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 115% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 42% in Missouri - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,648
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 314 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.2 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 65.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
Two or More 10.8%
White 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 65.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.5, Center Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Center 58, which includes Center Elem..
$16,648
Per student
+29%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.3%
State 11.0%
Federal 20.7%
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 Center Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Center Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Indian Creek Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boone Elem. | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Red Bridge Elem. | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Center Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 493
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 285
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 247
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 69/100
Similar elementary schools in Kansas City
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~314 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Center Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Center Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Center 58'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 Center Elem.
How many students attend Center Elem.?
Center Elem. has 314 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Center Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Center Elem. is 12.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 23% 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 Center Elem.?
99.1% of students at Center Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Center Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Center Elem. is African American at 65.6% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Center Elem.?
Center Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Center Elem. rank among elementary schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Center Elem. ranks #7 of 48 elementary schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Center Elem. a good school?
Center Elem. earns 56/100 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 Center 58?
Besides Center Elem., Center 58 also operates Center Sr. High (679 students), Center Middle (493 students), and Indian Creek Elem. (285 students). See the Center 58 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.