Enrollment
54
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Poplar Bluff, MO
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.
Federal NCES profile for W. E. Sears Youth Ctr., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 290000901178
👥 S:T ratio 78
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Missouri schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Poplar Bluff · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5.4:1
- small classes for Missouri
- 93.0%
- free-lunch eligible
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. has class sizes smaller than 97% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. ranks #1 of 4 schools in Poplar Bluff, MO.
School address
District: Division of Youth Service · Missouri
NCES ID 290000901178 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.4:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-58% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+102% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, enrolling 54 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.4:1, W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. is leaner than roughly 97% of Missouri schools and 58% under the state's 12.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 93.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Missouri schools, with 54 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 24 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #11.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 48/100).
Division of Youth Service also operates Watkins Mill Park Camp (46 students) and Fulton Treatment Ctr. (30 students) alongside W. E. Sears Youth Ctr..
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 W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. compares
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.4:1 | ▼ 58% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.0% | ▲ 102% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 54 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.4:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
54
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 102% 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
5.4:1
students per teacher
- 58% below state mean
Top 3% in Missouri - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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 66.7%
African American 27.8%
Two or More 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
How W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins Mill Park Camp | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fulton Treatment Ctr. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waverly Regional Youth Ctr. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. Vernon Treatment Ctr. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Girardot Center for Youth | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 30
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 26
- Students per teacher
- 6.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~54 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.'s federal record.
- Compare W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. against another school. Compare schools
- Division of Youth Service'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 W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.
How many students attend W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.?
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. has 54 students enrolled. It is a public school in Poplar Bluff, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.?
The student-teacher ratio at W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. is 5.4:1, which is 58% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 66% 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 W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.?
93.0% of students at W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.?
The largest demographic group at W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Poplar Bluff, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W. E. Sears Youth Ctr.?
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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.
How does W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. rank among schools in Poplar Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. ranks #1 of 4 schools in Poplar Bluff, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Poplar Bluff on the city page.
Is W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. a good school?
W. E. Sears Youth Ctr. earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Division of Youth Service?
Besides W. E. Sears Youth Ctr., Division of Youth Service also operates Watkins Mill Park Camp (46 students), Fulton Treatment Ctr. (30 students), and Waverly Regional Youth Ctr. (28 students). See the Division of Youth Service 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.