Enrollment
227
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, MO
John Ridgeway Elem.
Federal NCES profile for John Ridgeway Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 290100000305
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Ridgeway Elem. earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Missouri schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 10.6%
- free-lunch eligible
John Ridgeway Elem. has class sizes larger than 88% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Ridgeway Elem. ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Columbia, MO.
School address
District: Columbia 93 · Missouri
NCES ID 290100000305 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Ridgeway Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Ridgeway Elem.
John Ridgeway Elem. is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Columbia, Missouri, enrolling 227 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.2:1 is larger than about 88% of Missouri schools and 27% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.6% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the Missouri average.
Enrollment of 227 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 105 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #44.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Columbia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Beulah Ralph Elementary (656 students): John Ridgeway Elem. is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.2:1 vs 14.6:1).
Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students) and Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students) alongside John Ridgeway 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 John Ridgeway Elem. compares
John Ridgeway 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 27% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.6% | ▼ 77% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 227 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
227
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 88% in Missouri - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.5%
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
$13,719
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 69.2%
Two or More 14.1%
African American 10.1%
Asian 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, John Ridgeway Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia 93, which includes John Ridgeway Elem..
$13,719
Per student
+6%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.5%
State 25.3%
Federal 10.2%
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 John Ridgeway Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| David H. Hickman High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rock Bridge Sr. High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Muriel W. Battle High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ann Hawkins Gentry Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Beulah Ralph Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Ridgeway Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,007
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,997
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,492
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Columbia
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~227 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Ridgeway Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare John Ridgeway Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Columbia 93'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 John Ridgeway Elem.
How many students attend John Ridgeway Elem.?
John Ridgeway Elem. has 227 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Ridgeway Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at John Ridgeway Elem. is 16.2:1, which is 27% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John Ridgeway Elem.?
10.6% of students at John Ridgeway Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Ridgeway Elem.?
The largest demographic group at John Ridgeway Elem. is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Columbia, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Ridgeway Elem.?
John Ridgeway Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 John Ridgeway Elem. rank among elementary schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, John Ridgeway Elem. ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Columbia, 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 Columbia on the city page.
Is John Ridgeway Elem. a good school?
John Ridgeway Elem. earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of 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 Columbia 93?
Besides John Ridgeway Elem., Columbia 93 also operates David H. Hickman High (2,007 students), Rock Bridge Sr. High (1,997 students), and Muriel W. Battle High School (1,492 students). See the Columbia 93 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.