Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO

George Melcher Elementary

Federal NCES profile for George Melcher Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291640000826
0/100100/10036/100
👥 S:T ratio
43
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
32
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

George Melcher Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.

#37 of 55
schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
36
Resource Index · Typical
14.2:1
large classes for Missouri
99.0%
free-lunch eligible

George Melcher Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, George Melcher Elementary ranks #37 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.

School address

Enrollment

341

Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

24.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

14.2:1

vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg

+11% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

99.0%

vs 46.1% Missouri avg

+115% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How George Melcher Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at George Melcher Elementary

George Melcher Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 341 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need is high: 99.0% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.

With 341 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 #157.

Its student body is led by African American (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).

Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Kansas City 33 spends $18,221 per pupil, 41% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Among Kansas City's public schools, it stands alongside Frontier School of Innovation (645 students): George Melcher Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.2:1 vs 11.1:1).

Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 students) alongside George Melcher 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 George Melcher Elementary compares

George Melcher 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 14.2:1 ▲ 11% 12.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 99.0% ▲ 115% 46.1% 51.7%
Enrollment 341 top 46% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
341
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
99.0%
free-lunch eligible - 115% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher - 11% above state mean
Top 72% in Missouri - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
52.8%
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
$18,221
per pupil, district-wide - above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 57.2%
Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
Two or More 7.6%
White 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%

Largest group: African American at 57.2% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 58.3/100

Simpson diversity index - at 58.3, George Melcher Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City 33, which includes George Melcher Elementary.

$18,221
Per student
+41%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 2.3%
Federal 22.6%

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 George Melcher Elementary Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
East High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Lincoln College Prep. Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
M. L. King Elementary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Northeast High Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to George Melcher Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Kansas City 33 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Kansas City

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on George Melcher Elementary's federal record.

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 George Melcher Elementary

How many students attend George Melcher Elementary?

George Melcher Elementary has 341 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.

What is the student-teacher ratio at George Melcher Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at George Melcher Elementary is 14.2:1, which is 11% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at George Melcher Elementary?

99.0% of students at George Melcher Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of George Melcher Elementary?

The largest demographic group at George Melcher Elementary is African American at 57.2% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.3/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for George Melcher Elementary?

George Melcher Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 George Melcher Elementary rank among schools in Kansas City?

By Resource Investment Index, George Melcher Elementary ranks #37 of 55 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 schools in Kansas City on the city page.

Is George Melcher Elementary a good school?

George Melcher Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Kansas City 33?

Besides George Melcher Elementary, Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students), Lincoln College Prep. (997 students), and M. L. King Elementary (768 students). See the Kansas City 33 district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved

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.