Enrollment
768
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO
M. L. King Elementary
Federal NCES profile for M. L. King Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291640003082
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
M. L. King Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #46 of 55
- schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.2:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
M. L. King Elementary has class sizes larger than 97% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, M. L. King Elementary ranks #46 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Kansas City 33 · Missouri
NCES ID 291640003082 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+116% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How M. L. King Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at M. L. King Elementary
M. L. King Elementary is a high-poverty, large combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 768 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.2:1 is larger than about 97% of Missouri schools and 58% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 116% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 92% of state schools at 768 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 62 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #47, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 768 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Kansas City 33 spends $18,221 per pupil, 41% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kansas City's public schools, it stands alongside Frontier School of Innovation (645 students): M. L. King Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.2:1 vs 11.1:1).
Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 students) alongside M. L. King 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 M. L. King Elementary compares
M. L. King 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 | 20.2:1 | ▲ 58% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 116% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 768 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.2:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
768
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 116% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
20.2:1
students per teacher
- 58% above state mean
Top 97% in Missouri - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
23.8%
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
$18,221
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 768 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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
African American 66.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
White 5.6%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 66.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, M. L. King Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City 33, which includes M. L. King Elementary.
$18,221
Per student
+41%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 2.3%
Federal 22.6%
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 M. L. King Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln College Prep. | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to M. L. King Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,155
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 607
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Kansas City
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~768 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on M. L. King Elementary's federal record.
- Compare M. L. King Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas City 33'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 M. L. King Elementary
How many students attend M. L. King Elementary?
M. L. King Elementary has 768 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at M. L. King Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at M. L. King Elementary is 20.2:1, which is 58% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at M. L. King Elementary?
99.5% of students at M. L. King Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of M. L. King Elementary?
The largest demographic group at M. L. King Elementary is African American at 66.1% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for M. L. King Elementary?
M. L. King Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 M. L. King Elementary rank among schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, M. L. King Elementary ranks #46 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is M. L. King Elementary a good school?
M. L. King Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Kansas City 33?
Besides M. L. King Elementary, Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students), Lincoln College Prep. (997 students), and Northeast High (732 students). See the Kansas City 33 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.