Enrollment
196
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · West Plains, MO
South Fork Elem.
Federal NCES profile for South Fork Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 293168002217
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Fork Elem. earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Missouri schools.
- #1 of 8
- schools in West Plains · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 36.5%
- free-lunch eligible
South Fork Elem. has class sizes larger than 80% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Fork Elem. ranks #1 of 8 schools in West Plains, MO.
School address
District: West Plains R-Vii · Missouri
NCES ID 293168002217 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Fork Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Fork Elem.
South Fork Elem. is a mid-sized combined-grade school in West Plains, Missouri, enrolling 196 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.5% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 196 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 338 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #114.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment) (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 20.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
West Plains R-Vii also operates West Plains Sr. High (1,108 students) and West Plains Elem. (767 students) alongside South Fork 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 Fork Elem. compares
South Fork 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 18% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.5% | ▼ 21% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 196 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
196
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 80% in Missouri - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,813
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 196 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.
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 96.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 96.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.0, South Fork Elem. is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Plains R-Vii, which includes South Fork Elem..
$10,813
Per student
-16%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.1%
State 33.0%
Federal 20.9%
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 Fork Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Plains Sr. High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Plains Elem. | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Plains Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Fork Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,108
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other 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 (~196 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Fork Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare South Fork Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- West Plains R-Vii'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 Fork Elem.
How many students attend South Fork Elem.?
South Fork Elem. has 196 students enrolled. It is a public school in West Plains, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Fork Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at South Fork Elem. is 15.1:1, which is 18% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Fork Elem.?
36.5% of students at South Fork Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Fork Elem.?
The largest demographic group at South Fork Elem. is White at 96.4% of enrollment, in West Plains, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Fork Elem.?
South Fork Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Fork Elem. rank among schools in West Plains?
By Resource Investment Index, South Fork Elem. ranks #1 of 8 schools in West Plains, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in West Plains on the city page.
Is South Fork Elem. a good school?
South Fork Elem. earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 West Plains R-Vii?
Besides South Fork Elem., West Plains R-Vii also operates West Plains Sr. High (1,108 students), West Plains Elem. (767 students), and West Plains Middle (555 students). See the West Plains R-Vii 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.