Enrollment
187
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sparta, MO
Sparta Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sparta Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 292874001430
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparta Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Sparta · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 30.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sparta Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sparta Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sparta, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparta Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparta Middle
Sparta Middle is a mid-sized elementary school in Sparta, Missouri, enrolling 187 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 187 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 309 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #252, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 187 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sparta R-Iii spends $9,064 per pupil, 30% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Sparta R-Iii also operates Sparta Elem. (263 students) and Sparta High (227 students) alongside Sparta 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 Sparta Middle compares
Sparta 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 | 13.4:1 | ▲ 5% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.5% | ▼ 34% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 187 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
187
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 61% in Missouri - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$9,064
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 187 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.7 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 95.2%
Two or More 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 95.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.3, Sparta Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sparta R-Iii, which includes Sparta Middle.
$9,064
Per student
-30%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 43.6%
Federal 19.2%
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 Sparta Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Elem. | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sparta High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sparta Prek Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sparta Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 263
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 227
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 57
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~187 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparta Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sparta Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Sparta R-Iii'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 Sparta Middle
How many students attend Sparta Middle?
Sparta Middle has 187 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sparta, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparta Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparta Middle is 13.4:1, which is 5% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sparta Middle?
30.5% of students at Sparta Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sparta Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sparta Middle is White at 95.2% of enrollment, in Sparta, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparta Middle?
Sparta Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Sparta Middle rank among public schools in Sparta?
By Resource Investment Index, Sparta Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sparta, 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 Sparta on the city page.
Is Sparta Middle a good school?
Sparta Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Sparta R-Iii?
Besides Sparta Middle, Sparta R-Iii also operates Sparta Elem. (263 students), Sparta High (227 students), and Sparta Prek Center (57 students). See the Sparta R-Iii 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.