Enrollment
326
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Belton, MO
Gladden Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Gladden Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 290462000052
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gladden Elem. 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.
- #5 of 5
- elementary schools in Belton · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.6:1
- students per teacher
- 44.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Gladden Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gladden Elem. ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Belton, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.8%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gladden Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gladden Elem.
Gladden Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Belton, Missouri, enrolling 326 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 326 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
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 470 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #462, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 326 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Belton 124 also operates Belton High (1,258 students) and Belton Middle School (641 students) alongside Gladden 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 Gladden Elem. compares
Gladden 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.8% | ▼ 3% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 326 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
326
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 36% in Missouri - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.7%
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
$12,550
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 326 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.9 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 58.9%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
Two or More 12.9%
African American 8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: White at 58.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Gladden Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belton 124, which includes Gladden Elem..
$12,550
Per student
-3%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.1%
State 34.8%
Federal 14.0%
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 Gladden Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belton Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cambridge Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek Upper Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gladden Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,258
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~326 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gladden Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Gladden Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Belton 124'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 Gladden Elem.
How many students attend Gladden Elem.?
Gladden Elem. has 326 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Belton, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gladden Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Gladden Elem. is 11.6:1, which is 9% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 26% 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 Gladden Elem.?
44.8% of students at Gladden Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gladden Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Gladden Elem. is White at 58.9% of enrollment, in Belton, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gladden Elem.?
Gladden Elem. 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 Gladden Elem. rank among elementary schools in Belton?
By Resource Investment Index, Gladden Elem. ranks #5 of 5 elementary schools in Belton, 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 Belton on the city page.
Is Gladden Elem. a good school?
Gladden Elem. 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 Belton 124?
Besides Gladden Elem., Belton 124 also operates Belton High (1,258 students), Belton Middle School (641 students), and Cambridge Elem. (501 students). See the Belton 124 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.