Enrollment
341
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pierce City, MO
Central Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Central Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 292511001440
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 77
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elem. earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Missouri schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Pierce City · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elem. has class sizes larger than 78% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem. ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Pierce City, MO.
School address
District: Pierce City R-Vi · Missouri
NCES ID 292511001440 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elem.
Central Elem. is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Pierce City, Missouri, enrolling 341 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.2% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 341 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.
Against 501 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #70.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 114 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Pierce City R-Vi spends $9,950 per pupil, 23% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 25.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Pierce City R-Vi also operates Pierce City High (205 students) and Pierce City Middle (158 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elem. compares
Central 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 8% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 341 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
341
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 78% in Missouri - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,950
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 114 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
56
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 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 90.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.0, Central Elem. is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pierce City R-Vi, which includes Central Elem..
$9,950
Per student
-23%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 39.4%
Federal 25.5%
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 Central Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce City High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pierce City Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 205
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 158
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~341 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Central Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Pierce City R-Vi'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 Central Elem.
How many students attend Central Elem.?
Central Elem. has 341 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pierce City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elem. is 14.8:1, which is 16% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elem.?
42.2% of students at Central Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Central Elem. is White at 90.9% of enrollment, in Pierce City, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elem.?
Central Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Central Elem. rank among public schools in Pierce City?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem. ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Pierce City, 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 Pierce City on the city page.
Is Central Elem. a good school?
Central Elem. earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of 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 Pierce City R-Vi?
Besides Central Elem., Pierce City R-Vi also operates Pierce City High (205 students) and Pierce City Middle (158 students). See the Pierce City R-Vi 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.