Enrollment
364
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, MO
Santa Fe Trail Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Santa Fe Trail Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291548002374
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Santa Fe Trail Elem. earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #5 of 22
- schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 62.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Santa Fe Trail Elem. has class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Fe Trail Elem. ranks #5 of 22 schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Independence 30 · Missouri
NCES ID 291548002374 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+23% 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
What stands out at Santa Fe Trail Elem.
Santa Fe Trail Elem. is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 364 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.8:1 is larger than about 86% of Missouri schools and 23% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 62.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 364 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 181 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #100.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 364 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students) and William Chrisman High (1,417 students) alongside Santa Fe Trail 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 Santa Fe Trail Elem. compares
Santa Fe Trail 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 23% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.2% | ▲ 35% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 86% in Missouri - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.3%
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
$11,956
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 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Santa Fe Trail Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence 30, which includes Santa Fe Trail Elem..
$11,956
Per student
-8%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Santa Fe Trail Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| William Chrisman High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Van Horn High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bridger Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Santa Fe Trail Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Santa Fe Trail Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Santa Fe Trail Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 30'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 Santa Fe Trail Elem.
How many students attend Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
Santa Fe Trail Elem. has 364 students enrolled. It is a public 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 15.8:1, which is 23% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Santa Fe Trail Elem.?
Santa Fe Trail Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Santa Fe Trail Elem. rank among schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Santa Fe Trail Elem. ranks #5 of 22 schools in Independence, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Independence on the city page.
Is Santa Fe Trail Elem. a good school?
Santa Fe Trail Elem. earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. 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 Independence 30?
Besides Santa Fe Trail Elem., Independence 30 also operates Truman High (1,720 students), William Chrisman High (1,417 students), and Van Horn High (1,067 students). See the Independence 30 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.