Enrollment
386
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO
Phillis Wheatley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Phillis Wheatley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291640000863
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Phillis Wheatley Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #37 of 55
- schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Phillis Wheatley Elementary has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Phillis Wheatley Elementary ranks #37 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Kansas City 33 · Missouri
NCES ID 291640000863 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+115% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Phillis Wheatley Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Phillis Wheatley Elementary
Phillis Wheatley Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 386 students.
At 12.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 99.2% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 386 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 218 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #152.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (50%) and African American (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 386 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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): Phillis Wheatley Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.5:1 vs 11.1:1).
Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 students) alongside Phillis Wheatley 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 Phillis Wheatley Elementary compares
Phillis Wheatley 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 115% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 386 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
386
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 115% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 48% in Missouri - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.6%
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 386 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 50.3%
African American 38.9%
Two or More 4.9%
White 4.4%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Phillis Wheatley 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 Phillis Wheatley 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 Phillis Wheatley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln College Prep. | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| M. L. King Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Phillis Wheatley 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
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~386 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Phillis Wheatley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Phillis Wheatley 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 Phillis Wheatley Elementary
How many students attend Phillis Wheatley Elementary?
Phillis Wheatley Elementary has 386 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Phillis Wheatley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Phillis Wheatley Elementary is 12.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 20% 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 Phillis Wheatley Elementary?
99.2% of students at Phillis Wheatley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Phillis Wheatley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Phillis Wheatley Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.3% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Phillis Wheatley Elementary?
Phillis Wheatley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Phillis Wheatley Elementary rank among schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Phillis Wheatley Elementary ranks #37 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 Phillis Wheatley Elementary a good school?
Phillis Wheatley Elementary earns 36/100 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 Kansas City 33?
Besides Phillis Wheatley Elementary, Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students), Lincoln College Prep. (997 students), and M. L. King Elementary (768 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.