Enrollment
713
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Independence, MO
Fire Prairie Middle
Federal NCES profile for Fire Prairie Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291229002284
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fire Prairie Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #6 of 6
- elementary schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 38.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Fire Prairie Middle has class sizes larger than 76% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fire Prairie Middle ranks #6 of 6 elementary schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Fort Osage R-I · Missouri
NCES ID 291229002284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fire Prairie Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fire Prairie Middle
Fire Prairie Middle is a large elementary school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 713 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.1% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 90% of state schools at 713 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 302 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #208.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 357 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fort Osage R-I also operates Fort Osage High (1,545 students) and Osage Trail Middle (675 students) alongside Fire Prairie 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 Fire Prairie Middle compares
Fire Prairie 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 14% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.1% | ▼ 17% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 713 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
713
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in Missouri - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$11,979
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 357 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
63
in-school suspensions + 65 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.0 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 64.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
African American 9.5%
Two or More 9.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Fire Prairie Middle is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Osage R-I, which includes Fire Prairie Middle.
$11,979
Per student
-7%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.4%
State 37.1%
Federal 15.6%
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 Fire Prairie Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Osage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Osage Trail Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian Trails Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Hills Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckner Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fire Prairie Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,545
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
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 (~713 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fire Prairie Middle's federal record.
- Compare Fire Prairie Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Osage R-I'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 Fire Prairie Middle
How many students attend Fire Prairie Middle?
Fire Prairie Middle has 713 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fire Prairie Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Fire Prairie Middle is 14.6:1, which is 14% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fire Prairie Middle?
38.1% of students at Fire Prairie Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fire Prairie Middle?
The largest demographic group at Fire Prairie Middle is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fire Prairie Middle?
Fire Prairie Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Fire Prairie Middle rank among elementary schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Fire Prairie Middle ranks #6 of 6 elementary 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 elementary schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Fire Prairie Middle a good school?
Fire Prairie Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Fort Osage R-I?
Besides Fire Prairie Middle, Fort Osage R-I also operates Fort Osage High (1,545 students), Osage Trail Middle (675 students), and Indian Trails Elem. (365 students). See the Fort Osage R-I 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.