Enrollment
865
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · St Charles, MO
Central Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Central Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 292895001857
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elem. earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 6
- schools in St Charles · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 27.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elem. has class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem. ranks #2 of 6 schools in St Charles, MO.
School address
District: Francis Howell R-Iii · Missouri
NCES ID 292895001857 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-41% 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 large combined-grade school in St Charles, Missouri, enrolling 865 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 94% of state schools at 865 students.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 203 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and African American (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Francis Howell R-Iii also operates Francis Howell High (1,843 students) and Francis Howell Central High (1,750 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 9% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.1% | ▼ 41% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 865 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
865
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Missouri - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,775
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 216 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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
White 65.7%
African American 16.8%
Two or More 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.8, Central Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Francis Howell R-Iii, which includes Central Elem..
$11,775
Per student
-9%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.3%
State 19.7%
Federal 6.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Howell High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francis Howell Central High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Francis Howell North High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairmount Elem. | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Castlio Elem. | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar 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
- 1,843
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,750
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,716
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
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 (~865 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Central Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Francis Howell R-Iii'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 865 students enrolled. It is a public school in St Charles, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elem. is 14:1, which is 9% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elem.?
27.1% 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 65.7% of enrollment, in St Charles, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elem.?
Central Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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 Central Elem. rank among schools in St Charles?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem. ranks #2 of 6 schools in St Charles, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in St Charles on the city page.
Is Central Elem. a good school?
Central Elem. earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. 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 Francis Howell R-Iii?
Besides Central Elem., Francis Howell R-Iii also operates Francis Howell High (1,843 students), Francis Howell Central High (1,750 students), and Francis Howell North High (1,716 students). See the Francis Howell R-Iii 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.