Enrollment
273
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 292886001789
Cowden Elem. — Springfield, MO
Federal NCES profile for Cowden Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 53/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Springfield R-Xii · Missouri
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowden Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Cowden Elem. reports 273 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 44.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% below the Missouri average and 14% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 273 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Springfield R-Xii spends $17,624 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 63.1% from local sources (property taxes), 21.8% from the state, and 15.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Cowden Elem. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.5% | ▼ 3% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 273 | top 43% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
44.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 3% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 12% above state mean
Top 74% in Missouri — lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$17,624
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 273 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 273 Top 43% in Missouri — larger than 57% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 44.5% -3% vs state
NCES ID 292886001789
Student demographics
White 62.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.9%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 7.0%
African American 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 62.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 273:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 5
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield R-Xii, which includes Cowden Elem..
$17,624
Per student
+16%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 63.1%
State 21.8%
Federal 15.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 1,357
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
Similar other schools in Springfield
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Moca-S
Standard public school
2,345 students
Central High
Standard public school
1,428 students 13:1 students per teacher
Gray Elem.
Standard public school
474 students 15:1 students per teacher
Williams Elem.
Standard public school
412 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Jeffries Elem.
Standard public school
405 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Willard Central Elem.
Standard public school
404 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Cowden Elem.
How many students attend Cowden Elem.?
Cowden Elem. has 273 students enrolled. It is a other school in SPRINGFIELD, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowden Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowden Elem. is 14.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cowden Elem.?
44.5% of students at Cowden Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowden Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Cowden Elem. is White at 62.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in SPRINGFIELD, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowden Elem.?
Cowden Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.