Enrollment
313
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Fairmount Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Fairmount Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291548003099
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairmount Elem. earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #17 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 68.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairmount Elem. has class sizes larger than 90% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairmount Elem. ranks #17 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Independence 30 · Missouri
NCES ID 291548003099 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.9%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairmount Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairmount Elem.
Fairmount Elem. is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 313 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.5:1 is larger than about 90% of Missouri schools and 29% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 313 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.
Among 100 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #91, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (38%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students) and William Chrisman High (1,417 students) alongside Fairmount 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 Fairmount Elem. compares
Fairmount 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 29% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.9% | ▲ 49% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 313 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
313
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 29% 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
22.0%
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
$11,956
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 45.4%
White 38.3%
African American 8.3%
Two or More 6.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, Fairmount Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Fairmount Elem..
$11,956
Per student
-8%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 35.3%
Federal 21.8%
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 Fairmount Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William Chrisman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Van Horn High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bridger Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairmount Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~313 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairmount Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Fairmount Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 30'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 Fairmount Elem.
How many students attend Fairmount Elem.?
Fairmount Elem. has 313 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairmount Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairmount Elem. is 16.5:1, which is 29% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairmount Elem.?
68.9% of students at Fairmount Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairmount Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Fairmount Elem. is Hispanic or Latino at 45.4% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairmount Elem.?
Fairmount Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Fairmount Elem. rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairmount Elem. ranks #17 of 22 schools in Independence, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Fairmount Elem. a good school?
Fairmount Elem. earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Independence 30?
Besides Fairmount Elem., Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students), William Chrisman High (1,417 students), and Van Horn High (1,067 students). See the Independence 30 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.