Enrollment
433
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Jackson, MO
South Elem.
Federal NCES profile for South Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291560002248
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elem. earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 40.8%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elem. has class sizes larger than 70% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elem. ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Jackson, MO.
School address
District: Jackson R-Ii · Missouri
NCES ID 291560002248 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+9% 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
What stands out at South Elem.
South Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Jackson, Missouri, enrolling 433 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 40.8% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 433 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 511 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #157.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 433 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Jackson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Gordonville Attendance Ctr (54 students): South Elem. is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 18:1).
Jackson R-Ii also operates Jackson Sr. High (1,830 students) and Russell Hawkins Jr. High (867 students) alongside South 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 South Elem. compares
South 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 9% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.8% | ▼ 11% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 433 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
433
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
14:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Missouri - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,707
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 433 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 84.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 3.5%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 84.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.5, South Elem. is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson R-Ii, which includes South Elem..
$10,707
Per student
-17%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.1%
State 33.6%
Federal 12.3%
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 South Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Sr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Russell Hawkins Jr. High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jackson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orchard Drive Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,830
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 850
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Jackson
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~433 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare South Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson R-Ii'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 South Elem.
How many students attend South Elem.?
South Elem. has 433 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Jackson, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elem. is 14:1, which is 9% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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 84.1% of enrollment, in Jackson, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elem.?
South Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 South Elem. rank among elementary schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elem. ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Jackson, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is South Elem. a good school?
South Elem. earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Jackson R-Ii?
Besides South Elem., Jackson R-Ii also operates Jackson Sr. High (1,830 students), Russell Hawkins Jr. High (867 students), and Jackson Middle (850 students). See the Jackson R-Ii 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.