Enrollment
1,750
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · St Charles, MO
Francis Howell Central High
Federal NCES profile for Francis Howell Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 292895002072
👥 S:T ratio 25
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Francis Howell Central High earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #1 of 5
- high schools in St Charles · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.8:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 14.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Francis Howell Central High has class sizes larger than 96% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Francis Howell Central High ranks #1 of 5 high schools in St Charles, MO.
School address
District: Francis Howell R-Iii · Missouri
NCES ID 292895002072 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
93.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Francis Howell Central High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Francis Howell Central High
Francis Howell Central High is a lower-poverty, large high school in St Charles, Missouri, enrolling 1,750 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.8:1 is larger than about 96% of Missouri schools and 47% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.5% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Missouri average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,750 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and African American (7%) (diversity index 37/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 219 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Francis Howell R-Iii also operates Francis Howell High (1,843 students) and Francis Howell North High (1,716 students) alongside Francis Howell Central 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 Francis Howell Central High compares
Francis Howell Central 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 47% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.5% | ▼ 69% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,750 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,750
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 47% above state mean
Top 96% in Missouri - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,775
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
Counselors8.0 FTE
Per 219 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
116
in-school suspensions + 64 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 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 78.6%
African American 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.0, Francis Howell Central High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Francis Howell R-Iii, which includes Francis Howell Central High.
$11,775
Per student
-9%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.3%
State 19.7%
Federal 6.9%
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 Francis Howell Central High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Howell High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Francis Howell North High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairmount Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Castlio Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Francis Howell Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,843
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,716
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 847
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
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 (~1,750 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Francis Howell Central High's federal record.
- Compare Francis Howell Central High against another school. Compare schools
- Francis Howell R-Iii'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 Francis Howell Central High
How many students attend Francis Howell Central High?
Francis Howell Central High has 1,750 students enrolled. It is a high school in St Charles, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Francis Howell Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Francis Howell Central High is 18.8:1, which is 47% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Francis Howell Central High?
14.5% of students at Francis Howell Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Francis Howell Central High?
The largest demographic group at Francis Howell Central High is White at 78.6% of enrollment, in St Charles, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Francis Howell Central High?
Francis Howell Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Francis Howell Central High rank among high schools in St Charles?
By Resource Investment Index, Francis Howell Central High ranks #1 of 5 high schools in St Charles, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in St Charles on the city page.
Is Francis Howell Central High a good school?
Francis Howell Central High earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. 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 Francis Howell R-Iii?
Besides Francis Howell Central High, Francis Howell R-Iii also operates Francis Howell High (1,843 students), Francis Howell North High (1,716 students), and Fairmount Elem. (971 students). See the Francis Howell R-Iii 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.