Enrollment
1,551
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sedalia, MO
Smith-Cotton High School
Federal NCES profile for Smith-Cotton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 292783001709
👥 S:T ratio 30
📚 AP courses 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith-Cotton High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #10 of 11
- public schools in Sedalia · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 49.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Smith-Cotton High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith-Cotton High School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Sedalia, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
88.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith-Cotton High School compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith-Cotton High School
Smith-Cotton High School is a large high school in Sedalia, Missouri, enrolling 1,551 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 93% of Missouri schools and 38% 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 49.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,551 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 29 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #7.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 16 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 388 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Sedalia 200 spends $10,238 per pupil, 21% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Sedalia 200 also operates Smith Cotton Junior High Schl (1,133 students) and Skyline Elem. (483 students) alongside Smith-Cotton High School.
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 Smith-Cotton High School compares
Smith-Cotton High School on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 38% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.1% | ▲ 7% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,551 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,551
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.1%
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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 93% in Missouri - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$10,238
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 388 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
116
in-school suspensions + 81 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.7 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 65.9%
Hispanic or Latino 21.1%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 3.3%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.3, Smith-Cotton High School is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 16
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sedalia 200, which includes Smith-Cotton High School.
$10,238
Per student
-21%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.7%
State 39.9%
Federal 18.3%
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 Smith-Cotton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Cotton Junior High Schl | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Skyline Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Heber Hunt Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkview Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sedalia Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith-Cotton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high 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 (~1,551 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith-Cotton High School's federal record.
- Compare Smith-Cotton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sedalia 200'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 Smith-Cotton High School
How many students attend Smith-Cotton High School?
Smith-Cotton High School has 1,551 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sedalia, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith-Cotton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith-Cotton High School is 17.6:1, which is 38% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smith-Cotton High School?
49.1% of students at Smith-Cotton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smith-Cotton High School?
The largest demographic group at Smith-Cotton High School is White at 65.9% of enrollment, in Sedalia, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith-Cotton High School?
Smith-Cotton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smith-Cotton High School rank among public schools in Sedalia?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith-Cotton High School ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Sedalia, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sedalia on the city page.
Is Smith-Cotton High School a good school?
Smith-Cotton High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. 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 Sedalia 200?
Besides Smith-Cotton High School, Sedalia 200 also operates Smith Cotton Junior High Schl (1,133 students), Skyline Elem. (483 students), and Heber Hunt Elem. (448 students). See the Sedalia 200 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.