Enrollment
369
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · St James, MO
St. James Middle
Federal NCES profile for St. James Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292925002840
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. James Middle earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Missouri schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in St James · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 41.6%
- free-lunch eligible
St. James Middle has class sizes larger than 72% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. James Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in St James, MO.
School address
District: St. James R-I · Missouri
NCES ID 292925002840 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. James Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. James Middle
St. James Middle is a mid-sized middle school in St James, Missouri, enrolling 369 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.6% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 369 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 517 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #78.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 185 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 27.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
St. James R-I also operates Lucy Wortham James Elem. (681 students) and St. James High (509 students) alongside St. James 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 St. James Middle compares
St. James 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 | 14.2:1 | ▲ 11% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.6% | ▼ 10% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 369 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
369
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 72% in Missouri - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$13,228
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 185 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
47
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.4 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 88.9%
African American 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 88.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.6, St. James Middle is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. James R-I, which includes St. James Middle.
$13,228
Per student
+2%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 37.2%
Federal 27.6%
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 St. James Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucy Wortham James Elem. | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St. James High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. James Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle 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 (~369 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. James Middle's federal record.
- Compare St. James Middle against another school. Compare schools
- St. James R-I'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 St. James Middle
How many students attend St. James Middle?
St. James Middle has 369 students enrolled. It is a middle school in St James, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. James Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at St. James Middle is 14.2:1, which is 11% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St. James Middle?
41.6% of students at St. James Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. James Middle?
The largest demographic group at St. James Middle is White at 88.9% of enrollment, in St James, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. James Middle?
St. James Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 St. James Middle rank among public schools in St James?
By Resource Investment Index, St. James Middle ranks #1 of 3 public schools in St James, 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 St James on the city page.
Is St. James Middle a good school?
St. James Middle earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 St. James R-I?
Besides St. James Middle, St. James R-I also operates Lucy Wortham James Elem. (681 students) and St. James High (509 students). See the St. James R-I 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.