2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 293060002102

Union Star Elem. — Union Star, MO

Federal NCES profile for Union Star Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 65/100.

Compare schools View district
0/100100/10065/100
👥 Class size
68
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
74
📋 Attendance
89
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

Union Star Elem. earns a B- Resource Investment Index (65/100), with class sizes smaller than 92% of Missouri schools.

B-
Resource Index · 65/100
8:1
small classes for Missouri
25.0%
free-lunch eligible
66
students enrolled

School address

Union Star, MO 64494
District: Union Star R-Ii · Missouri

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.

Enrollment

66

Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

8.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

8:1

vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg

-38% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

25.0%

vs 46.1% Missouri avg

-46% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Union Star Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:18:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

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

Union Star Elem. reports 66 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 38% 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 49% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 25.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 46% below the Missouri average and 52% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 132 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 4.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Union Star R-Ii spends $15,545 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $12,931 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 59.1% from local sources (property taxes), 26.8% from the state, and 14.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-), calculated from 4 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 Union Star Elem. 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 8:1 ▼ 38% 12.9:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 25.0% ▼ 46% 46.1% 51.8%
Enrollment 66 top 8% — —

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 96% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). This entry sits in this band. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Above this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

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')

66 larger than 7% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

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
25.0%
free-lunch eligible — 46% 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
8:1
students per teacher — 38% below state mean
Top 8% in Missouri — lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
4.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$15,545
per pupil, district-wide — above Missouri avg of $12,931
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 132 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 66 Top 8% in Missouri — larger than 92% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 8:1 -38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 25.0% -46% vs state
NCES ID 293060002102

Student demographics

White 93.9%
Two or More 6.1%

Largest group: White at 93.9% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 132:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 4.5%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 3

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Star R-Ii, which includes Union Star Elem..

$15,545
Per student
+20%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.1%
State 26.8%
Federal 14.1%

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.

Other Schools in This District

Union Star R-Ii · 2 sibling schools

View district profile

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 Union Star Elem.

How many students attend Union Star Elem.?

Union Star Elem. has 66 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in UNION STAR, MO.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Star Elem.?

The student-teacher ratio at Union Star Elem. is 8:1, which is 38% lower than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 49% 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 Union Star Elem.?

25.0% of students at Union Star Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Star Elem.?

The largest demographic group at Union Star Elem. is White at 93.9%. The school serves a student body in UNION STAR, MO.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Star Elem.?

Union Star Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is Union Star Elem. a good school?

Union Star Elem. earns a B- Resource Investment Index (65/100), with class sizes smaller than 92% 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.

Related tools

Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Missouri
All public schools in Missouri
Union Star R-Ii
All schools in this district
Schools in Union Star
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov