Enrollment
246
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Festus, MO
Danby-Rush Tower Middle
Federal NCES profile for Danby-Rush Tower Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 291623001722
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Danby-Rush Tower Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in Festus · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 21.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Danby-Rush Tower Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Danby-Rush Tower Middle ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Festus, MO.
School address
District: Jefferson Co. R-Vii · Missouri
NCES ID 291623001722 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Danby-Rush Tower Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Danby-Rush Tower Middle
Danby-Rush Tower Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Festus, Missouri, enrolling 246 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 246 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #126.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 123 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Jefferson Co. R-Vii also operates Jefferson High School (300 students) and Telegraph Intermediate (230 students) alongside Danby-Rush Tower Middle.
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 Danby-Rush Tower Middle compares
Danby-Rush Tower Middle on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▲ 7% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.2% | ▼ 54% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 65% in Missouri - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,250
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 123 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 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 92.3%
Two or More 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 92.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.6, Danby-Rush Tower Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson Co. R-Vii, which includes Danby-Rush Tower Middle.
$11,250
Per student
-13%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 78.1%
State 13.4%
Federal 8.5%
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 Danby-Rush Tower Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Telegraph Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Plattin Primary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson R-Vii Preschool | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Danby-Rush Tower Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 230
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 57
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle 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 (~246 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Danby-Rush Tower Middle's federal record.
- Compare Danby-Rush Tower Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson Co. R-Vii'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 Danby-Rush Tower Middle
How many students attend Danby-Rush Tower Middle?
Danby-Rush Tower Middle has 246 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Festus, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Danby-Rush Tower Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Danby-Rush Tower Middle is 13.7:1, which is 7% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Danby-Rush Tower Middle?
21.2% of students at Danby-Rush Tower Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Danby-Rush Tower Middle?
The largest demographic group at Danby-Rush Tower Middle is White at 92.3% of enrollment, in Festus, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Danby-Rush Tower Middle?
Danby-Rush Tower Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Danby-Rush Tower Middle rank among public schools in Festus?
By Resource Investment Index, Danby-Rush Tower Middle ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Festus, 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 Festus on the city page.
Is Danby-Rush Tower Middle a good school?
Danby-Rush Tower Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Co. R-Vii?
Besides Danby-Rush Tower Middle, Jefferson Co. R-Vii also operates Jefferson High School (300 students), Telegraph Intermediate (230 students), and Plattin Primary (203 students). See the Jefferson Co. R-Vii 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.