Enrollment
273
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Springfield, MO
Cowden Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Cowden Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 292886001789
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowden Elem. earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #10 of 30
- schools in Springfield · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.4:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 44.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowden Elem. has class sizes larger than 74% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowden Elem. ranks #10 of 30 schools in Springfield, MO.
School address
District: Springfield R-Xii · Missouri
NCES ID 292886001789 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 12.8:1 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
What stands out at Cowden Elem.
Cowden Elem. is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Springfield, Missouri, enrolling 273 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 44.5% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 273 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 403 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #127.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 273 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Springfield R-Xii also operates Kickapoo High (1,923 students) and Central High (1,428 students) alongside Cowden 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 Cowden Elem. compares
Cowden 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.5% | ▼ 3% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 273 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
273
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$13,404
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Cowden Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield R-Xii, which includes Cowden Elem..
$13,404
Per student
+4%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Cowden Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kickapoo High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glendale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowden Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 1,357
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~273 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cowden Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Cowden Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Springfield R-Xii'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 Cowden Elem.
How many students attend Cowden Elem.?
Cowden Elem. has 273 students enrolled. It is a public 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 12.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Springfield, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowden Elem.?
Cowden Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cowden Elem. rank among schools in Springfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowden Elem. ranks #10 of 30 schools in Springfield, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Springfield on the city page.
Is Cowden Elem. a good school?
Cowden Elem. earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Springfield R-Xii?
Besides Cowden Elem., Springfield R-Xii also operates Kickapoo High (1,923 students), Central High (1,428 students), and Glendale High (1,357 students). See the Springfield R-Xii 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.