Enrollment
862
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Desoto, MO
Desoto Sr. High
Federal NCES profile for Desoto Sr. High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 291050000350
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Desoto Sr. High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Missouri schools.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Desoto · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 25.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Desoto Sr. High has class sizes larger than 90% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto Sr. High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Desoto, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Desoto Sr. High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Desoto Sr. High
Desoto Sr. High is a large high school in Desoto, Missouri, enrolling 862 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.6:1 is larger than about 90% of Missouri schools and 30% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 93% of state schools at 862 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 208 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #97.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 216 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 862 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Desoto 73 also operates Vineland Elem. (653 students) and Athena Elem. (465 students) alongside Desoto Sr. High.
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 Desoto Sr. High compares
Desoto Sr. High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 30% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.5% | ▼ 45% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 862 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
862
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 90% in Missouri - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$10,806
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
159
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.1 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 92.9%
Two or More 2.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 92.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.5, Desoto Sr. High is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Desoto 73, which includes Desoto Sr. High.
$10,806
Per student
-16%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.8%
State 35.8%
Federal 18.4%
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 Desoto Sr. High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland Elem. | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Athena Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Desoto Jr. High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Ctr. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Desoto Sr. High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 146
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high 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 (~862 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Desoto Sr. High's federal record.
- Compare Desoto Sr. High against another school. Compare schools
- Desoto 73'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 Desoto Sr. High
How many students attend Desoto Sr. High?
Desoto Sr. High has 862 students enrolled. It is a high school in Desoto, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Desoto Sr. High?
The student-teacher ratio at Desoto Sr. High is 16.6:1, which is 30% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Desoto Sr. High?
25.5% of students at Desoto Sr. High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Desoto Sr. High?
The largest demographic group at Desoto Sr. High is White at 92.9% of enrollment, in Desoto, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Desoto Sr. High?
Desoto Sr. High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Desoto Sr. High rank among public schools in Desoto?
By Resource Investment Index, Desoto Sr. High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Desoto, 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 Desoto on the city page.
Is Desoto Sr. High a good school?
Desoto Sr. High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of 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 Desoto 73?
Besides Desoto Sr. High, Desoto 73 also operates Vineland Elem. (653 students), Athena Elem. (465 students), and Desoto Jr. High (338 students). See the Desoto 73 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.