Enrollment
235
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Steele, MO
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 292853002670
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Steele · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Missouri
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Steele, MO.
School address
District: South Pemiscot Co. R-V · Missouri
NCES ID 292853002670 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+117% 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 elementary school in Steele, Missouri, enrolling 235 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 117% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 235 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 164 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #116.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
South Pemiscot Co. R-V also operates South Pemiscot High (263 students) and East Elementary (80 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 | 11.2:1 | ▼ 13% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 117% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 235 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
235
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 117% 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
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 30% in Missouri - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$11,099
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 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 59.1%
African American 22.6%
Two or More 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.3, Central Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Pemiscot Co. R-V, which includes Central Elementary.
$11,099
Per student
-14%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 38.7%
Federal 27.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Pemiscot High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar 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
- 263
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~235 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South Pemiscot Co. R-V'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 235 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Steele, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 11.2:1, which is 13% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 29% 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 Central Elementary?
100.0% 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 White at 59.1% of enrollment, in Steele, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Central Elementary rank among public schools in Steele?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Steele, 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 Steele on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 South Pemiscot Co. R-V?
Besides Central Elementary, South Pemiscot Co. R-V also operates South Pemiscot High (263 students) and East Elementary (80 students). See the South Pemiscot Co. R-V 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.