Enrollment
389
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 292637001546
Richards Elem. — West Plains, MO
Federal NCES profile for Richards Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 64
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Richards R-V · Missouri
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richards Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Richards Elem. reports 389 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 49.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 7% above the Missouri average and 5% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 195 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 14.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Richards R-V spends $15,113 per pupil district-wide, below the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.6% from local sources (property taxes), 41.4% from the state, and 21.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Richards Elem. compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 7% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.2% | ▲ 7% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 389 | top 63% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
49.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 7% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
— 7% above state mean
Top 65% in Missouri — lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
14.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$15,113
per pupil, district-wide
— below Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 195 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 389 Top 63% in Missouri — larger than 37% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 13.8:1 +7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 49.2% +7% vs state
NCES ID 292637001546
Student demographics
White 95.4%
Two or More 2.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 95.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 195:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 14.4%
In-school suspensions 10
Out-of-school suspensions 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richards R-V, which includes Richards Elem..
$15,113
Per student
-1%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.6%
State 41.4%
Federal 21.0%
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.
Similar other schools in West Plains
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West Plains Elem.
Standard public school
767 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Fairview Elem.
Standard public school
466 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Glenwood Elem.
Standard public school
252 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Howell Valley Elem.
Standard public school
201 students 14:1 students per teacher
South Fork Elem.
Standard public school
196 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Junction Hill Elem.
Standard public school
186 students 11:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Richards Elem.
How many students attend Richards Elem.?
Richards Elem. has 389 students enrolled. It is a other school in WEST PLAINS, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richards Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Richards Elem. is 13.8:1, which is 7% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richards Elem.?
49.2% of students at Richards Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richards Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Richards Elem. is White at 95.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in WEST PLAINS, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richards Elem.?
Richards Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.