Enrollment
324
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kansas City, MO
Wendell Phillips Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Wendell Phillips Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 291640000882
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wendell Phillips Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #29 of 55
- schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 99.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wendell Phillips Elementary has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wendell Phillips Elementary ranks #29 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
District: Kansas City 33 · Missouri
NCES ID 291640000882 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+115% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wendell Phillips Elementary compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wendell Phillips Elementary
Wendell Phillips Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 324 students.
At 13:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 99.0% of students qualify for free meals, 115% above the Missouri average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 324 students, its enrollment sits close to the Missouri median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 222 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #116.
Its student body is led by African American (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 324 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kansas City 33 spends $18,221 per pupil, 41% above the Missouri average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kansas City's public schools, it stands alongside Frontier School of Innovation (645 students): Wendell Phillips Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13:1 vs 11.1:1).
Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students) and Lincoln College Prep. (997 students) alongside Wendell Phillips Elementary.
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 Wendell Phillips Elementary compares
Wendell Phillips Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▲ 2% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.0% | ▲ 115% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 324 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 115% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 55% in Missouri - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,221
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 324 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
African American 68.8%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
White 5.2%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 68.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Wendell Phillips Elementary is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City 33, which includes Wendell Phillips Elementary.
$18,221
Per student
+41%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 2.3%
Federal 22.6%
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 Wendell Phillips Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln College Prep. | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| M. L. King Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paseo Acad. of Performing Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wendell Phillips Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,155
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 997
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 768
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 669
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Kansas City
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~324 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wendell Phillips Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Wendell Phillips Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas City 33'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 Wendell Phillips Elementary
How many students attend Wendell Phillips Elementary?
Wendell Phillips Elementary has 324 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wendell Phillips Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Wendell Phillips Elementary is 13:1, which is 2% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wendell Phillips Elementary?
99.0% of students at Wendell Phillips Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wendell Phillips Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Wendell Phillips Elementary is African American at 68.8% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wendell Phillips Elementary?
Wendell Phillips Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Wendell Phillips Elementary rank among schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Wendell Phillips Elementary ranks #29 of 55 schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Wendell Phillips Elementary a good school?
Wendell Phillips Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Kansas City 33?
Besides Wendell Phillips Elementary, Kansas City 33 also operates East High School (1,155 students), Lincoln College Prep. (997 students), and M. L. King Elementary (768 students). See the Kansas City 33 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.