Enrollment
364
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 291548002374
Santa Fe Trail Elem. — Independence, MO
Federal NCES profile for Santa Fe Trail Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 44
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: Independence 30 · 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)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Santa Fe Trail 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
Santa Fe Trail Elem. reports 364 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% 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 6% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 62.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 35% above the Missouri average and 20% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 364 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Independence 30 spends $16,029 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 42.9% from local sources (property taxes), 35.3% from the state, and 21.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), 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 Santa Fe Trail 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 30% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.2% | ▲ 35% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 59% | — | — |
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
62.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 35% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
— 30% above state mean
Top 92% in Missouri — lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,029
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 364 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 364 Top 59% in Missouri — larger than 41% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 16.8:1 +30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 62.2% +35% vs state
NCES ID 291548002374
Student demographics
White 52.7%
Hispanic or Latino 22.0%
African American 12.1%
Two or More 10.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 52.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 364:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.3%
In-school suspensions 16
Out-of-school suspensions 26
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Santa Fe Trail Elem..
$16,029
Per student
+5%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 42.9%
State 35.3%
Federal 21.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
Similar other schools in Independence
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sycamore Hills Elem.
Standard public school
574 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
William Southern Elem.
Standard public school
458 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Korte Elem.
Standard public school
444 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Glendale Elem.
Standard public school
417 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Thomas Hart Benton Elem.
Standard public school
401 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Ott Elem.
Standard public school
384 students 15.9:1 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 Santa Fe Trail Elem.
How many students attend Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
Santa Fe Trail Elem. has 364 students enrolled. It is a other school in INDEPENDENCE, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Santa Fe Trail Elem. is 16.8:1, which is 30% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
62.2% of students at Santa Fe Trail Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Santa Fe Trail Elem. is White at 52.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in INDEPENDENCE, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
Santa Fe Trail Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) 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.