Enrollment
263
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Little Blue Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Little Blue Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291548003213
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Little Blue Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #1 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 37.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Little Blue Elementary has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Little Blue Elementary ranks #1 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Independence 30 · Missouri
NCES ID 291548003213 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Little Blue Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Little Blue Elementary
Little Blue Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 263 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.6% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 263 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 443 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #95.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and African American (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students) and William Chrisman High (1,417 students) alongside Little Blue Elementary.
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 Little Blue Elementary compares
Little Blue Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 6% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.6% | ▼ 18% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 263 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
263
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 40% in Missouri - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,956
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 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 59.7%
African American 16.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 59.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Little Blue Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Little Blue Elementary.
$11,956
Per student
-8%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 35.3%
Federal 21.8%
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 Little Blue Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William Chrisman High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Van Horn High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bridger Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Little Blue Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~263 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Little Blue Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Little Blue Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 30'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 Little Blue Elementary
How many students attend Little Blue Elementary?
Little Blue Elementary has 263 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Little Blue Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Little Blue Elementary is 12:1, which is 6% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Little Blue Elementary?
37.6% of students at Little Blue Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Little Blue Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Little Blue Elementary is White at 59.7% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Little Blue Elementary?
Little Blue Elementary 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 Little Blue Elementary rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Little Blue Elementary ranks #1 of 22 schools in Independence, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Little Blue Elementary a good school?
Little Blue Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Independence 30?
Besides Little Blue Elementary, Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students), William Chrisman High (1,417 students), and Van Horn High (1,067 students). See the Independence 30 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.