Enrollment
316
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 291383000617
Lawson Elem. — Florissant, MO
Federal NCES profile for Lawson Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 48/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 40
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawson Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Lawson Elem. reports 316 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 55.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 20% above the Missouri average and 7% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 316 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 24.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hazelwood spends $13,951 per pupil district-wide, below the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 52.7% from local sources (property taxes), 20.8% from the state, and 26.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Lawson Elem. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▲ 8% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.2% | ▲ 20% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 316 | top 50% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
55.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 20% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 67% in Missouri — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
24.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,951
per pupil, district-wide
— below Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 316 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 316 Top 50% in Missouri — larger than 50% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 13.9:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 55.2% +20% vs state
NCES ID 291383000617
Student demographics
African American 66.8%
White 18.7%
Two or More 8.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: African American at 66.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 316:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.1%
In-school suspensions 27
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hazelwood, which includes Lawson Elem..
$13,951
Per student
-9%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 52.7%
State 20.8%
Federal 26.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,994
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,718
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,310
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Enrollment
- 770
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 724
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
Similar other schools in Florissant
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mccurdy Elem.
Standard public school
538 students 9.7:1 students per teacher
Walker Elem.
Standard public school
508 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Jury Elem.
Standard public school
480 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Cold Water Elem.
Standard public school
449 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Brown Elem.
Standard public school
441 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Jana Elem.
Standard public school
419 students 15:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Lawson Elem.
How many students attend Lawson Elem.?
Lawson Elem. has 316 students enrolled. It is a other school in FLORISSANT, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawson Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawson Elem. is 13.9:1, which is 8% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lawson Elem.?
55.2% of students at Lawson Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawson Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Lawson Elem. is African American at 66.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in FLORISSANT, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lawson Elem.?
Lawson Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.