Enrollment
552
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 291134000403
South Elem. — Eldon, MO
Federal NCES profile for South Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 67
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
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)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.8%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South 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
South Elem. reports 552 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 34.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 29% 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 4% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 40.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% below the Missouri average and 21% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 552 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 13.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Eldon R-I spends $11,430 per pupil district-wide, below the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.1% from local sources (property taxes), 29.3% from the state, and 23.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), 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 South 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 29% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.8% | ▼ 11% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 552 | top 82% | — | — |
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
40.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
— 29% above state mean
Top 91% in Missouri — lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$11,430
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 552 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 552 Top 82% in Missouri — larger than 18% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 34.0
Students per teacher 16.6:1 +29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 40.8% -11% vs state
NCES ID 291134000403
Student demographics
White 92.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 92.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 552:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eldon R-I, which includes South Elem..
$11,430
Per student
-25%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 29.3%
Federal 23.6%
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
- 597
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
Similar other schools in Eldon
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 South Elem.
How many students attend South Elem.?
South Elem. has 552 students enrolled. It is a other school in ELDON, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elem. is 16.6:1, which is 29% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Elem.?
40.8% of students at South Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elem.?
The largest demographic group at South Elem. is White at 92.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in ELDON, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elem.?
South Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) 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.