Enrollment
510
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kearney, MO
Kearney Jr. High
Federal NCES profile for Kearney Jr. High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291645002531
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kearney Jr. High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Missouri schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Kearney · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 11.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Kearney Jr. High has class sizes larger than 76% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kearney Jr. High ranks #3 of 3 schools in Kearney, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kearney Jr. High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kearney Jr. High
Kearney Jr. High is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kearney, Missouri, enrolling 510 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.1% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the Missouri average.
Enrollment of 510 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 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #161.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Kearney R-I also operates Kearney High (814 students) and Kearney Middle (591 students) alongside Kearney Jr. High.
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 Kearney Jr. High compares
Kearney Jr. High 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 | 11.1% | ▼ 76% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 510 | top 21% | - | - |
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.
510
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
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
25.1%
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
$11,205
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 91.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.5, Kearney Jr. High is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kearney R-I, which includes Kearney Jr. High.
$11,205
Per student
-13%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.5%
State 31.0%
Federal 6.4%
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 Kearney Jr. High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kearney Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dogwood Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southview Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kearney Jr. High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 814
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~510 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kearney Jr. High's federal record.
- Compare Kearney Jr. High against another school. Compare schools
- Kearney 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 Kearney Jr. High
How many students attend Kearney Jr. High?
Kearney Jr. High has 510 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kearney, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kearney Jr. High?
The student-teacher ratio at Kearney Jr. High 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 Kearney Jr. High?
11.1% of students at Kearney Jr. High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kearney Jr. High?
The largest demographic group at Kearney Jr. High is White at 91.8% of enrollment, in Kearney, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kearney Jr. High?
Kearney Jr. High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Kearney Jr. High rank among schools in Kearney?
By Resource Investment Index, Kearney Jr. High ranks #3 of 3 schools in Kearney, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kearney on the city page.
Is Kearney Jr. High a good school?
Kearney Jr. High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Kearney R-I?
Besides Kearney Jr. High, Kearney R-I also operates Kearney High (814 students), Kearney Middle (591 students), and Dogwood Elem. (463 students). See the Kearney 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.