Enrollment
400
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Joplin, MO
Stapleton Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Stapleton Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 291635000791
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stapleton Elem. earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #5 of 10
- elementary schools in Joplin · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 41.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Stapleton Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stapleton Elem. ranks #5 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, MO.
School address
District: Joplin Schools · Missouri
NCES ID 291635000791 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stapleton Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stapleton Elem.
Stapleton Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Joplin, Missouri, enrolling 400 students.
At 13.3:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.0% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 400 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 515 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #135.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Two or More (10%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 400 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Joplin Schools spends $9,800 per pupil, 24% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Joplin Schools also operates Joplin High (2,288 students) and South Middle (596 students) alongside Stapleton 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 Stapleton Elem. compares
Stapleton 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 | 13.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.0% | ▼ 11% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 400 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
400
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 60% in Missouri - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.8%
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
$9,800
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 400 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 64.5%
Two or More 10.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
African American 6.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.8%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.7, Stapleton Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Joplin Schools, which includes Stapleton Elem..
$9,800
Per student
-24%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.9%
State 26.1%
Federal 19.0%
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 Stapleton Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cecil Floyd Elem. | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stapleton Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,288
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 592
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~400 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stapleton Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Stapleton Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Joplin Schools'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 Stapleton Elem.
How many students attend Stapleton Elem.?
Stapleton Elem. has 400 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Joplin, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stapleton Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Stapleton Elem. is 13.3:1, which is 4% 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 Stapleton Elem.?
41.0% of students at Stapleton Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stapleton Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Stapleton Elem. is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Joplin, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stapleton Elem.?
Stapleton Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Stapleton Elem. rank among elementary schools in Joplin?
By Resource Investment Index, Stapleton Elem. ranks #5 of 10 elementary schools in Joplin, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Joplin on the city page.
Is Stapleton Elem. a good school?
Stapleton Elem. earns 52/100 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 Joplin Schools?
Besides Stapleton Elem., Joplin Schools also operates Joplin High (2,288 students), South Middle (596 students), and East Middle (592 students). See the Joplin Schools 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.