Enrollment
440
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Jefferson City, MO
Clarence Lawson Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Clarence Lawson Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291619002494
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clarence Lawson Elem. earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #8 of 10
- elementary schools in Jefferson City · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 34.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Clarence Lawson Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clarence Lawson Elem. ranks #8 of 10 elementary schools in Jefferson City, MO.
School address
District: Jefferson City · Missouri
NCES ID 291619002494 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clarence Lawson Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clarence Lawson Elem.
Clarence Lawson Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Jefferson City, Missouri, enrolling 440 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.1% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 440 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 528 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #200.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 440 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Jefferson City also operates Jefferson City High (1,353 students) and Capital City High School (1,314 students) alongside Clarence Lawson 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 Clarence Lawson Elem. compares
Clarence Lawson 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.1% | ▼ 26% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 440 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
440
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 39% in Missouri - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.1%
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
$11,977
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 440 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.5 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 57.3%
African American 15.9%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Asian 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.2, Clarence Lawson Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson City, which includes Clarence Lawson Elem..
$11,977
Per student
-7%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.7%
State 19.0%
Federal 14.4%
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 Clarence Lawson Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capital City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lewis and Clark Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Trail Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clarence Lawson Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,353
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,314
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 927
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~440 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clarence Lawson Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Clarence Lawson Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson City'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 Clarence Lawson Elem.
How many students attend Clarence Lawson Elem.?
Clarence Lawson Elem. has 440 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Jefferson City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clarence Lawson Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Clarence Lawson Elem. is 11.9:1, which is 7% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 24% 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 Clarence Lawson Elem.?
34.1% of students at Clarence Lawson Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clarence Lawson Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Clarence Lawson Elem. is White at 57.3% of enrollment, in Jefferson City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clarence Lawson Elem.?
Clarence Lawson Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Clarence Lawson Elem. rank among elementary schools in Jefferson City?
By Resource Investment Index, Clarence Lawson Elem. ranks #8 of 10 elementary schools in Jefferson 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 Jefferson City on the city page.
Is Clarence Lawson Elem. a good school?
Clarence Lawson Elem. earns 50/100 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 Jefferson City?
Besides Clarence Lawson Elem., Jefferson City also operates Jefferson City High (1,353 students), Capital City High School (1,314 students), and Lewis and Clark Middle (966 students). See the Jefferson City 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.