Enrollment
494
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cape Girardeau, MO
Jefferson Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 290712000189
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Elem. earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #6 of 7
- schools in Cape Girardeau · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- students per teacher
- 10.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elem. ranks #6 of 7 schools in Cape Girardeau, MO.
School address
District: Cape Girardeau 63 · Missouri
NCES ID 290712000189 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Elem.
Jefferson Elem. is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, enrolling 494 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.1% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the Missouri average.
Enrollment of 494 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 260 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #138.
Its student body is led by African American (45%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 453 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Cape Girardeau 63 also operates Central High (1,278 students) and Central Jr. High (633 students) alongside Jefferson 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 Jefferson Elem. compares
Jefferson 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 10% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.1% | ▼ 78% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 34% in Missouri - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.4%
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
$11,368
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 453 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 45.1%
White 27.5%
Two or More 16.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 45.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, Jefferson Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cape Girardeau 63, which includes Jefferson Elem..
$11,368
Per student
-12%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.0%
State 21.5%
Federal 20.6%
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 Jefferson Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Jr. High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clippard Elem. | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Schrader Elem. | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,278
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 332
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~494 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Cape Girardeau 63'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 Jefferson Elem.
How many students attend Jefferson Elem.?
Jefferson Elem. has 494 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cape Girardeau, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Elem. is 11.5:1, which is 10% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 27% 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 Jefferson Elem.?
10.1% of students at Jefferson Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Elem. is African American at 45.1% of enrollment, in Cape Girardeau, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elem.?
Jefferson Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Jefferson Elem. rank among schools in Cape Girardeau?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elem. ranks #6 of 7 schools in Cape Girardeau, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cape Girardeau on the city page.
Is Jefferson Elem. a good school?
Jefferson Elem. earns 50/100 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 Cape Girardeau 63?
Besides Jefferson Elem., Cape Girardeau 63 also operates Central High (1,278 students), Central Jr. High (633 students), and Central Middle (623 students). See the Cape Girardeau 63 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.