Enrollment
402
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · St. Louis, MO
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele
Federal NCES profile for Gateway Science Acad-South Ele, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 290059203241Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in St. Louis · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 57.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gateway Science Acad-South Ele ranks #4 of 5 schools in St. Louis, MO.
School address
District: Gateway Science Acad/St Louis · Missouri
NCES ID 290059203241 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.4%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gateway Science Acad-South Ele compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gateway Science Acad-South Ele
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in St. Louis, Missouri, enrolling 402 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 402 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 275 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #265, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 402 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among St. Louis's public schools, it stands alongside Gateway Science Acad/St Louis (377 students): Gateway Science Acad-South Ele is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 13.5:1).
Gateway Science Acad/St Louis also operates Gateway Science Academy High (461 students) and Gateway Science Academy Middle (426 students) alongside Gateway Science Acad-South Ele.
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 Gateway Science Acad-South Ele compares
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.8:1 | ▼ 8% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.4% | ▲ 25% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 402 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
402
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 38% in Missouri - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$13,596
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 402 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 47.3%
White 30.3%
Two or More 10.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 47.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, Gateway Science Acad-South Ele is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gateway Science Acad/St Louis, which includes Gateway Science Acad-South Ele.
$13,596
Per student
+5%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.8%
State 69.0%
Federal 20.2%
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 Gateway Science Acad-South Ele Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Science Academy High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gateway Science Academy Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gateway Science Acad/St Louis | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gateway Science Acad-South Ele's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in St. Louis
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~402 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gateway Science Acad-South Ele's federal record.
- Compare Gateway Science Acad-South Ele against another school. Compare schools
- Gateway Science Acad/St Louis'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 Gateway Science Acad-South Ele
How many students attend Gateway Science Acad-South Ele?
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele has 402 students enrolled. It is a public school in St. Louis, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gateway Science Acad-South Ele?
The student-teacher ratio at Gateway Science Acad-South Ele is 11.8:1, which is 8% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gateway Science Acad-South Ele?
57.4% of students at Gateway Science Acad-South Ele are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gateway Science Acad-South Ele?
The largest demographic group at Gateway Science Acad-South Ele is African American at 47.3% of enrollment, in St. Louis, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gateway Science Acad-South Ele?
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Gateway Science Acad-South Ele rank among schools in St. Louis?
By Resource Investment Index, Gateway Science Acad-South Ele ranks #4 of 5 schools in St. Louis, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in St. Louis on the city page.
Is Gateway Science Acad-South Ele a good school?
Gateway Science Acad-South Ele earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Gateway Science Acad/St Louis?
Besides Gateway Science Acad-South Ele, Gateway Science Acad/St Louis also operates Gateway Science Academy High (461 students), Gateway Science Academy Middle (426 students), and Gateway Science Acad/St Louis (377 students). See the Gateway Science Acad/St Louis 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.