Enrollment
320
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kansas City, MO
Dobbs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dobbs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291434000652
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dobbs Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #39 of 48
- elementary schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Dobbs Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dobbs Elementary ranks #39 of 48 elementary schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Hickman Mills C-1 · Missouri
NCES ID 291434000652 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+117% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dobbs Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dobbs Elementary
Dobbs Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 320 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
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 320 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 225 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #133.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% 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): Dobbs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 11.2:1).
Hickman Mills C-1 also operates Ruskin High School (1,299 students) and Smith-Hale Middle (770 students) alongside Dobbs 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 Dobbs Elementary compares
Dobbs 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 19% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 117% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
320
Bigger than 35% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 81% in Missouri - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.8%
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 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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
African American 54.4%
White 19.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Asian 8.4%
Two or More 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Largest group: African American at 54.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, Dobbs 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 Dobbs 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 Dobbs Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruskin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smith-Hale Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dobbs 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 (~320 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dobbs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dobbs 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 Dobbs Elementary
How many students attend Dobbs Elementary?
Dobbs Elementary has 320 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dobbs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dobbs Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 19% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dobbs Elementary?
100.0% of students at Dobbs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dobbs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dobbs Elementary is African American at 54.4% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dobbs Elementary?
Dobbs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Dobbs Elementary rank among elementary schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Dobbs Elementary ranks #39 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 Dobbs Elementary a good school?
Dobbs Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Dobbs 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.