Enrollment
770
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kansas City, MO
Smith-Hale Middle
Federal NCES profile for Smith-Hale Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 291434003162
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith-Hale Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Missouri schools.
- #18 of 23
- middle schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Smith-Hale Middle has class sizes larger than 92% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith-Hale Middle ranks #18 of 23 middle schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Hickman Mills C-1 · Missouri
NCES ID 291434003162 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+117% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith-Hale Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith-Hale Middle
Smith-Hale Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 770 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.1:1 is larger than about 92% of Missouri schools and 34% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 117% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 92% of state schools at 770 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #36.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 707 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 770 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 61 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Kansas City's middle schools, it stands alongside Gateway 6th Grade Center (882 students): Smith-Hale Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 14.7:1).
Hickman Mills C-1 also operates Ruskin High School (1,299 students) and Hickman Mills 6th Grade Center (590 students) alongside Smith-Hale Middle.
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-Hale Middle compares
Smith-Hale Middle on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 34% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 117% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 770 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
770
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 117% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 92% in Missouri - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
61.3%
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
$13,110
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
305
in-school suspensions + 402 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 39.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 91.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 61 expulsions.
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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hickman Mills C-1, which includes Smith-Hale Middle.
$13,110
Per student
+1%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 31.9%
Federal 26.0%
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 Smith-Hale Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruskin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hickman Mills 6th Grade Center | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ervin Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Warford Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Millennium at Sante Fe | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith-Hale Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 24.6:1
- Resource Index
- 2/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in Kansas City
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~770 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith-Hale Middle's federal record.
- Compare Smith-Hale Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Hickman Mills C-1'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-Hale Middle
How many students attend Smith-Hale Middle?
Smith-Hale Middle has 770 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith-Hale Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith-Hale Middle is 17.1:1, which is 34% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smith-Hale Middle?
100.0% of students at Smith-Hale Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith-Hale Middle?
Smith-Hale Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Smith-Hale Middle rank among middle schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith-Hale Middle ranks #18 of 23 middle schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Smith-Hale Middle a good school?
Smith-Hale Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of 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 Hickman Mills C-1?
Besides Smith-Hale Middle, Hickman Mills C-1 also operates Ruskin High School (1,299 students), Hickman Mills 6th Grade Center (590 students), and Ervin Elementary School (427 students). See the Hickman Mills C-1 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.