Enrollment
342
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lawson, MO
Lawson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Lawson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291822000961
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lawson Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Lawson · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 20.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Lawson Middle has class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lawson Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Lawson, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.8%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lawson Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lawson Middle
Lawson Middle is a mid-sized elementary school in Lawson, Missouri, enrolling 342 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 342 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 386 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #196.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment) (diversity index 8/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lawson R-Xiv spends $10,310 per pupil, 20% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lawson R-Xiv also operates Southwest Elem. (439 students) and Lawson High (362 students) alongside Lawson Middle.
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 Lawson Middle compares
Lawson Middle on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.8% | ▼ 55% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Missouri - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,310
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 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 95.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Two or More 0.9%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 95.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.0, Lawson Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lawson R-Xiv, which includes Lawson Middle.
$10,310
Per student
-20%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.2%
State 39.1%
Federal 11.7%
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 Lawson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lawson High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lawson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 362
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~342 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lawson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Lawson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lawson R-Xiv'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 Lawson Middle
How many students attend Lawson Middle?
Lawson Middle has 342 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lawson, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lawson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Lawson Middle is 14.9:1, which is 16% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lawson Middle?
20.8% of students at Lawson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lawson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Lawson Middle is White at 95.9% of enrollment, in Lawson, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lawson Middle?
Lawson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Lawson Middle rank among public schools in Lawson?
By Resource Investment Index, Lawson Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Lawson, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lawson on the city page.
Is Lawson Middle a good school?
Lawson Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Lawson R-Xiv?
Besides Lawson Middle, Lawson R-Xiv also operates Southwest Elem. (439 students) and Lawson High (362 students). See the Lawson R-Xiv 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.