Enrollment
167
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 290060903262 Charter school
The Biome — St. Louis, MO
Federal NCES profile for The Biome, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 66
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Biome earns an F Resource Investment Index (32/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Missouri schools.
- F
- Resource Index · 32/100
- 8.4:1
- small classes for Missouri
- 54.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 167
- students enrolled
School address
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.4:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.5%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Biome compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
The Biome reports 167 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 35% below the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 46% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 18% above the Missouri average and 5% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 40.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding The Biome spends $18,102 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $12,931 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 10.6% from local sources (property taxes), 65.3% from the state, and 24.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How The Biome compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Missouri state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.4:1 | ▼ 35% | 12.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.5% | ▲ 18% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 167 | top 25% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
8 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 95% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
167 larger than 16% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
54.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 18% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.4:1
students per teacher
— 35% below state mean
Top 9% in Missouri — lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
40.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,102
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $12,931
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 167 Top 25% in Missouri — larger than 75% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 8.4:1 -35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.5% +18% vs state
NCES ID 290060903262
Student demographics
African American 88.6%
Two or More 4.8%
White 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: African American at 88.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 40.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for The Biome, which includes The Biome.
$18,102
Per student
+40%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.6%
State 65.3%
Federal 24.1%
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.
Similar elementary schools in St. Louis
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kipp Triumph Academy
Standard public school
305 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Kipp Wisdom Academy
Standard public school
285 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Mosaic Elementary
Standard public school
258 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Eagle Tower Grove East
Standard public school
161 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Humboldt Acad of Higher Lrning
Standard public school
108 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Eagle Gravois Park
Standard public school
91 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about The Biome
How many students attend The Biome?
The Biome has 167 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in St. Louis, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Biome?
The student-teacher ratio at The Biome is 8.4:1, which is 35% lower than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 46% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at The Biome?
54.5% of students at The Biome are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Biome?
The largest demographic group at The Biome is African American at 88.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in St. Louis, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Biome?
The Biome has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is The Biome a good school?
The Biome earns an F Resource Investment Index (32/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 91% of Missouri schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.