Enrollment
250
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ferguson, MO
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291201000454
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Missouri schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Ferguson · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 98.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Ferguson, MO.
School address
District: Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii · Missouri
NCES ID 291201000454 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+113% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ferguson, Missouri, enrolling 250 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.7:1 is larger than about 91% of Missouri schools and 30% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 98.3% of students qualify for free meals, 113% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 250 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 172 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #170, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii also operates Mccluer High (1,075 students) and Mccluer North High (1,059 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 30% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.3% | ▲ 113% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 250 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
250
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 113% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 91% in Missouri - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.2%
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
$14,049
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 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
African American 88.8%
Two or More 4.8%
White 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Largest group: African American at 88.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.7, Central Elementary is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii, which includes Central Elementary.
$14,049
Per student
+9%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 55.3%
State 23.7%
Federal 21.0%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mccluer High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mccluer North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cross Keys Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ferguson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Steam Academy at Msb High Scho | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 608
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~250 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii'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 Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 250 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ferguson, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 16.7:1, which is 30% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
98.3% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is African American at 88.8% of enrollment, in Ferguson, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Elementary rank among public schools in Ferguson?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Ferguson, 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 Ferguson on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii?
Besides Central Elementary, Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii also operates Mccluer High (1,075 students), Mccluer North High (1,059 students), and Cross Keys Middle (608 students). See the Ferguson-Florissant R-Ii 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.