Enrollment
57
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sparta, MO
Sparta Prek Center
Federal NCES profile for Sparta Prek Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 292874003260
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparta Prek Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Missouri schools.
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.5:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 29.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 57
- students enrolled
Sparta Prek Center has class sizes larger than 99% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.5:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+123% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparta Prek Center compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparta Prek Center
Sparta Prek Center is a small combined-grade school in Sparta, Missouri, enrolling 57 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.5:1 is larger than about 99% of Missouri schools and 123% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.5% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Missouri schools, with 57 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 76 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #75, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 10/100).
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 Prek Center.
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 Prek Center compares
Sparta Prek Center on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28.5:1 | ▲ 123% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.5% | ▼ 36% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 57 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.5:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
57
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
28.5:1
students per teacher
- 123% above state mean
Top 99% in Missouri - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 94.7%
Two or More 5.3%
Largest group: White at 94.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.0, Sparta Prek Center 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 Prek Center.
$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 Prek Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Elem. | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sparta High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sparta Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sparta Prek Center'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
- 187
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~57 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparta Prek Center's federal record.
- Compare Sparta Prek Center 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 Prek Center
How many students attend Sparta Prek Center?
Sparta Prek Center has 57 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sparta, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparta Prek Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparta Prek Center is 28.5:1, which is 123% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 82% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sparta Prek Center?
29.5% of students at Sparta Prek Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sparta Prek Center?
The largest demographic group at Sparta Prek Center is White at 94.7% of enrollment, in Sparta, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparta Prek Center?
Sparta Prek Center has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
Is Sparta Prek Center a good school?
Sparta Prek Center earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Sparta R-Iii?
Besides Sparta Prek Center, Sparta R-Iii also operates Sparta Elem. (263 students), Sparta High (227 students), and Sparta Middle (187 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.