Enrollment
218
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Joplin, MO
Jefferson Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291635000779
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Elem. earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #1 of 10
- elementary schools in Joplin · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- students per teacher
- 66.7%
- 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 #1 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, MO.
School address
District: Joplin Schools · Missouri
NCES ID 291635000779 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.7%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+45% 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 higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Joplin, Missouri, enrolling 218 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 218 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 87 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 218 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Joplin Schools spends $9,800 per pupil, 24% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Joplin Schools also operates Joplin High (2,288 students) and South Middle (596 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 | 66.7% | ▲ 45% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 218 | top 67% | - | - |
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.
218
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
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
11.5%
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
$9,800
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 218 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 72.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 72.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.4, 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 Joplin Schools, which includes Jefferson Elem..
$9,800
Per student
-24%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.9%
State 26.1%
Federal 19.0%
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 Jefferson Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cecil Floyd Elem. | Larger | Lower economic need | 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
- 2,288
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~218 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
- Joplin Schools'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 218 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Joplin, 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.?
66.7% 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 White at 72.5% of enrollment, in Joplin, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Elem.?
Jefferson Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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 elementary schools in Joplin?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Elem. ranks #1 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, 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 Joplin on the city page.
Is Jefferson Elem. a good school?
Jefferson Elem. earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Joplin Schools?
Besides Jefferson Elem., Joplin Schools also operates Joplin High (2,288 students), South Middle (596 students), and East Middle (592 students). See the Joplin Schools 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.