Enrollment
252
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 292886001831
Watkins Elem. — Springfield, MO
Federal NCES profile for Watkins Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
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 →
School address
District: Springfield R-Xii · 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.
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 12.9:1 Missouri avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.4%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watkins Elem. 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
Watkins Elem. reports 252 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 18.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Missouri state mean of 12.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 66.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 44% above the Missouri average and 28% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 252 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Springfield R-Xii spends $17,624 per pupil district-wide, above the Missouri average of $15,248 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 63.1% from local sources (property taxes), 21.8% from the state, and 15.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), 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 Watkins 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 | 13.9:1 | ▲ 8% | 12.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.4% | ▲ 44% | 46.1% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 252 | top 39% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
66.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 44% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 67% in Missouri — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$17,624
per pupil, district-wide
— above Missouri avg of $15,248
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 252 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 252 Top 39% in Missouri — larger than 61% of 2,321 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 18.0
Students per teacher 13.9:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 66.4% +44% vs state
NCES ID 292886001831
Student demographics
White 57.9%
Hispanic or Latino 17.9%
Two or More 11.9%
African American 10.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 57.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 252:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 20
Out-of-school suspensions 17
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield R-Xii, which includes Watkins Elem..
$17,624
Per student
+16%
vs Missouri
Avg $15,248
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 63.1%
State 21.8%
Federal 15.1%
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
- Enrollment
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 1,357
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
Similar other schools in Springfield
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Moca-S
Standard public school
2,345 students
Central High
Standard public school
1,428 students 13:1 students per teacher
Gray Elem.
Standard public school
474 students 15:1 students per teacher
Williams Elem.
Standard public school
412 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Jeffries Elem.
Standard public school
405 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Willard Central Elem.
Standard public school
404 students 12.5:1 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 Watkins Elem.
How many students attend Watkins Elem.?
Watkins Elem. has 252 students enrolled. It is a other school in SPRINGFIELD, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watkins Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Watkins Elem. is 13.9:1, which is 8% higher than the Missouri average of 12.9:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watkins Elem.?
66.4% of students at Watkins Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watkins Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Watkins Elem. is White at 57.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in SPRINGFIELD, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watkins Elem.?
Watkins Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.