Enrollment
158
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 292820001735
Shell Knob Elem. — Shell Knob, MO
Federal NCES profile for Shell Knob Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 51/100.
👥 Class size 68
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 38
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 →
The verdict
Shell Knob Elem. earns a C- Resource Investment Index (51/100), with class sizes smaller than 92% of Missouri schools.
- C-
- Resource Index · 51/100
- 8:1
- small classes for Missouri
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 158
- students enrolled
School address
District: Shell Knob 78 · 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)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+117% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shell Knob 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
Shell Knob Elem. reports 158 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 38% below the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 49% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 117% above the Missouri average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 158 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 24.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Shell Knob 78 spends $26,664 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $12,931 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 75.2% from local sources (property taxes), 13.4% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Shell Knob 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 | 8:1 | ▼ 38% | 12.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 117% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 158 | top 24% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
8 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 96% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
158 larger than 15% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 117% 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
8:1
students per teacher
— 38% below state mean
Top 8% in Missouri — lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$26,664
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $12,931
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 158 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 158 Top 24% in Missouri — larger than 76% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 8:1 -38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +117% vs state
NCES ID 292820001735
Student demographics
White 95.6%
Two or More 4.4%
Largest group: White at 95.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 158:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.7%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shell Knob 78, which includes Shell Knob Elem..
$26,664
Per student
+106%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+61%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.2%
State 13.4%
Federal 11.4%
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.
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.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Shell Knob Elem. side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Shell Knob Elem.
How many students attend Shell Knob Elem.?
Shell Knob Elem. has 158 students enrolled. It is a other school in Shell Knob, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shell Knob Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Shell Knob Elem. is 8:1, which is 38% lower than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 49% 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 Shell Knob Elem.?
100.0% of students at Shell Knob Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shell Knob Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Shell Knob Elem. is White at 95.6%. The school serves a student body in Shell Knob, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shell Knob Elem.?
Shell Knob Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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.
Is Shell Knob Elem. a good school?
Shell Knob Elem. earns a C- Resource Investment Index (51/100), with class sizes smaller than 92% of Missouri schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.