Enrollment
300
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Joplin, MO
Kelsey Norman Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Kelsey Norman Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291635000780
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kelsey Norman Elem. earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #4 of 10
- elementary schools in Joplin · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 47.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Kelsey Norman Elem. has class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kelsey Norman Elem. ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, MO.
School address
District: Joplin Schools · Missouri
NCES ID 291635000780 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kelsey Norman Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kelsey Norman Elem.
Kelsey Norman Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Joplin, Missouri, enrolling 300 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.8:1 is larger than about 86% of Missouri schools and 23% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 300 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 415 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Two or More (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Kelsey Norman 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 Kelsey Norman Elem. compares
Kelsey Norman 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 23% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.5% | ▲ 3% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 86% in Missouri - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 300 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 61.3%
Two or More 16.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
African American 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Largest group: White at 61.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.1, Kelsey Norman 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 Kelsey Norman 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 Kelsey Norman Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cecil Floyd Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kelsey Norman 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 (~300 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kelsey Norman Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Kelsey Norman 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 Kelsey Norman Elem.
How many students attend Kelsey Norman Elem.?
Kelsey Norman Elem. has 300 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Joplin, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kelsey Norman Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Kelsey Norman Elem. is 15.8:1, which is 23% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kelsey Norman Elem.?
47.5% of students at Kelsey Norman Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kelsey Norman Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Kelsey Norman Elem. is White at 61.3% of enrollment, in Joplin, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kelsey Norman Elem.?
Kelsey Norman Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Kelsey Norman Elem. rank among elementary schools in Joplin?
By Resource Investment Index, Kelsey Norman Elem. ranks #4 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 Kelsey Norman Elem. a good school?
Kelsey Norman Elem. earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Joplin Schools?
Besides Kelsey Norman 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.