Enrollment
335
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kansas City, MO
Compass Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Compass Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291434000651
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Compass Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #45 of 48
- elementary schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Compass Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Elementary ranks #45 of 48 elementary schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Hickman Mills C-1 · Missouri
NCES ID 291434000651 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+117% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Compass Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Compass Elementary
Compass Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 335 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.8:1 is larger than about 91% of Missouri schools and 31% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 335 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 222 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #174, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kansas City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ewing Marion Kauffman Middle (559 students): Compass Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 11.2:1).
Hickman Mills C-1 also operates Ruskin High School (1,299 students) and Smith-Hale Middle (770 students) alongside Compass 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 Compass Elementary compares
Compass 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 31% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 117% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 335 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
335
Bigger than 37% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 31% 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
42.4%
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
$13,110
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 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
African American 54.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.2%
White 10.4%
Two or More 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 54.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Compass Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hickman Mills C-1, which includes Compass Elementary.
$13,110
Per student
+1%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 31.9%
Federal 26.0%
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 Compass Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruskin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smith-Hale Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hickman Mills 6th Grade Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ervin Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Warford Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Compass Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 2/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Kansas City
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~335 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Compass Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Compass Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hickman Mills C-1'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 Compass Elementary
How many students attend Compass Elementary?
Compass Elementary has 335 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Compass Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Compass Elementary is 16.8:1, which is 31% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Compass Elementary?
100.0% of students at Compass Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Compass Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Compass Elementary is African American at 54.6% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Compass Elementary?
Compass Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Compass Elementary rank among elementary schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Elementary ranks #45 of 48 elementary schools in Kansas 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 Kansas City on the city page.
Is Compass Elementary a good school?
Compass Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Hickman Mills C-1?
Besides Compass Elementary, Hickman Mills C-1 also operates Ruskin High School (1,299 students), Smith-Hale Middle (770 students), and Hickman Mills 6th Grade Center (590 students). See the Hickman Mills C-1 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.