Enrollment
673
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kansas City, MO
Plaza Middle
Federal NCES profile for Plaza Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292355001369
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plaza Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 23
- middle schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 23.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Plaza Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plaza Middle ranks #2 of 23 middle schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
NCES ID 292355001369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.9%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plaza Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plaza Middle
Plaza Middle is a large middle school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 673 students.
At 12.7:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 673 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 343 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 139 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 673 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Kansas City's middle schools, it stands alongside Gateway 6th Grade Center (882 students): Plaza Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 14.7:1).
Park Hill also operates Park Hill High (1,947 students) and Park Hill South High (1,890 students) alongside Plaza 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 Plaza Middle compares
Plaza 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.9% | ▼ 48% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 673 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
673
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 50% in Missouri - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,846
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
94
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.7 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 55.6%
African American 17.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 3.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 55.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Plaza Middle is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Park Hill, which includes Plaza Middle.
$13,846
Per student
+7%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.7%
State 21.7%
Federal 9.6%
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 Plaza Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Hill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Hill South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walden Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union Chapel Elem. | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plaza Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,947
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 730
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Kansas City
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~673 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plaza Middle's federal record.
- Compare Plaza Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Park Hill'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 Plaza Middle
How many students attend Plaza Middle?
Plaza Middle has 673 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plaza Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Plaza Middle is 12.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 19% 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 Plaza Middle?
23.9% of students at Plaza Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plaza Middle?
The largest demographic group at Plaza Middle is White at 55.6% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plaza Middle?
Plaza Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Plaza Middle rank among middle schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Plaza Middle ranks #2 of 23 middle 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 middle schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Plaza Middle a good school?
Plaza Middle earns 52/100 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 Park Hill?
Besides Plaza Middle, Park Hill also operates Park Hill High (1,947 students), Park Hill South High (1,890 students), and Walden Middle (730 students). See the Park Hill 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.