Enrollment
365
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Indian Trails Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Indian Trails Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291229003103
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Indian Trails Elem. earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #5 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 46.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Indian Trails Elem. has class sizes larger than 76% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Indian Trails Elem. ranks #5 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Fort Osage R-I · Missouri
NCES ID 291229003103 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Indian Trails Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Indian Trails Elem.
Indian Trails Elem. is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 365 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 365 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 469 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #298.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fort Osage R-I also operates Fort Osage High (1,545 students) and Fire Prairie Middle (713 students) alongside Indian Trails 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 Indian Trails Elem. compares
Indian Trails 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 14% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.5% | ▲ 1% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 365 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
365
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in Missouri - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.7%
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
$11,979
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 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 57.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
African American 14.8%
Two or More 10.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 57.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Indian Trails Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Osage R-I, which includes Indian Trails Elem..
$11,979
Per student
-7%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.4%
State 37.1%
Federal 15.6%
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 Indian Trails Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Osage High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fire Prairie Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Osage Trail Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Hills Elem. | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckner Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Indian Trails Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,545
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
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 (~365 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Indian Trails Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Indian Trails Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Osage R-I'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 Indian Trails Elem.
How many students attend Indian Trails Elem.?
Indian Trails Elem. has 365 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Indian Trails Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Indian Trails Elem. is 14.6:1, which is 14% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Indian Trails Elem.?
46.5% of students at Indian Trails Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Indian Trails Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Indian Trails Elem. is White at 57.0% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Indian Trails Elem.?
Indian Trails Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Indian Trails Elem. rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Indian Trails Elem. ranks #5 of 22 schools in Independence, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Indian Trails Elem. a good school?
Indian Trails Elem. earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Fort Osage R-I?
Besides Indian Trails Elem., Fort Osage R-I also operates Fort Osage High (1,545 students), Fire Prairie Middle (713 students), and Osage Trail Middle (675 students). See the Fort Osage R-I 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.