Enrollment
420
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kennett, MO
South Elem.
Federal NCES profile for South Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291650000902
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elem. earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Kennett · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 99.3%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elem. ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Kennett, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+115% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kennett, Missouri, enrolling 420 students.
At 12.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Missouri median, within a few percentage points of the 12.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 99.3% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 420 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 199 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and African American (35%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 41.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Kennett 39 also operates Kennett High (493 students) and H. Byron Masterson Elem. (417 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 115% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 420 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
420
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 115% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 46% in Missouri - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,475
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.3 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 54.5%
African American 35.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, South Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kennett 39, which includes South Elem..
$10,475
Per student
-19%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.6%
State 31.6%
Federal 41.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennett High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| H. Byron Masterson Elem. | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kennett Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Ctr. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 493
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
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 (~420 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare South Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Kennett 39'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 420 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kennett, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elem. is 12.4:1, which is 3% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 21% 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 South Elem.?
99.3% 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 54.5% of enrollment, in Kennett, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elem.?
South Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 public schools in Kennett?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elem. ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Kennett, 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 Kennett on the city page.
Is South Elem. a good school?
South Elem. earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Kennett 39?
Besides South Elem., Kennett 39 also operates Kennett High (493 students), H. Byron Masterson Elem. (417 students), and Kennett Middle (392 students). See the Kennett 39 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.