Enrollment
277
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Joplin, MO
Royal Heights Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Royal Heights Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291635000788
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Royal Heights Elem. earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #3 of 10
- elementary schools in Joplin · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 56.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Royal Heights Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Royal Heights Elem. ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, MO.
School address
District: Joplin Schools · Missouri
NCES ID 291635000788 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Royal Heights Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Royal Heights Elem.
Royal Heights Elem. is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Joplin, Missouri, enrolling 277 students.
At 13.2:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 56.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 277 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 251 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #13, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Joplin Schools spends $9,800 per pupil, 24% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Joplin Schools also operates Joplin High (2,288 students) and South Middle (596 students) alongside Royal Heights Elem..
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 Royal Heights Elem. compares
Royal Heights Elem. on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▲ 23% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 58% in Missouri - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,800
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 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 64.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
Two or More 7.2%
African American 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.1, Royal Heights Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joplin Schools, which includes Royal Heights Elem..
$9,800
Per student
-24%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.9%
State 26.1%
Federal 19.0%
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.
How Royal Heights Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cecil Floyd Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Royal Heights Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,288
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary 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 (~277 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Royal Heights Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Royal Heights Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Joplin Schools'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 Royal Heights Elem.
How many students attend Royal Heights Elem.?
Royal Heights Elem. has 277 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Joplin, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Royal Heights Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Royal Heights Elem. is 13.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Royal Heights Elem.?
56.6% of students at Royal Heights Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Royal Heights Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Royal Heights Elem. is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Joplin, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Royal Heights Elem.?
Royal Heights Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Royal Heights Elem. rank among elementary schools in Joplin?
By Resource Investment Index, Royal Heights Elem. ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Joplin on the city page.
Is Royal Heights Elem. a good school?
Royal Heights Elem. earns 61/100 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 Joplin Schools?
Besides Royal Heights Elem., Joplin Schools also operates Joplin High (2,288 students), South Middle (596 students), and East Middle (592 students). See the Joplin Schools 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.