Enrollment
344
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO
Hale Cook Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hale Cook Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291640003257
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hale Cook Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #7 of 55
- schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 98.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hale Cook Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hale Cook Elementary ranks #7 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Kansas City 33 · Missouri
NCES ID 291640003257 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.9%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+115% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hale Cook Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hale Cook Elementary
Hale Cook Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 344 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 98.9% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 344 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 220 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #24, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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): Hale Cook Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15:1 vs 11.1:1).
Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 students) alongside Hale Cook 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 Hale Cook Elementary compares
Hale Cook 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 17% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.9% | ▲ 115% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 344 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
344
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.9%
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
15:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 79% in Missouri - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 57.3%
African American 20.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 9.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.3, Hale Cook 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 Hale Cook 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 Hale Cook 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 Hale Cook Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,155
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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.
Similar enrollment (~344 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hale Cook Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hale Cook Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas City 33'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 Hale Cook Elementary
How many students attend Hale Cook Elementary?
Hale Cook Elementary has 344 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hale Cook Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hale Cook Elementary is 15:1, which is 17% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hale Cook Elementary?
98.9% of students at Hale Cook Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hale Cook Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hale Cook Elementary is White at 57.3% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hale Cook Elementary?
Hale Cook Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Hale Cook Elementary rank among schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Hale Cook Elementary ranks #7 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 Hale Cook Elementary a good school?
Hale Cook Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Hale Cook 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.
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.