Enrollment
486
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Belton, MO
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest
Federal NCES profile for Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 290462000053
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Belton · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 26.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest has class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Belton, MO.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest is a mid-sized elementary school in Belton, Missouri, enrolling 486 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.7:1 is larger than about 86% of Missouri schools and 23% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 486 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Among 466 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #408, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 486 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Belton 124 also operates Belton High (1,258 students) and Belton Middle School (641 students) alongside Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest.
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 Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest compares
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 23% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.2% | ▼ 43% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 486 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
486
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 86% in Missouri - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$12,550
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 486 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 66.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Two or More 9.1%
African American 7.8%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belton 124, which includes Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest.
$12,550
Per student
-3%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.1%
State 34.8%
Federal 14.0%
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 Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Belton Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cambridge Elem. | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek Upper Elem. | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kentucky Trail Elem. | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,258
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 641
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary 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 (~486 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest's federal record.
- Compare Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest against another school. Compare schools
- Belton 124'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 Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest
How many students attend Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest?
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest has 486 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Belton, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest is 15.7:1, which is 23% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest?
26.2% of students at Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest?
The largest demographic group at Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest is White at 66.5% of enrollment, in Belton, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest?
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest 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 Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest rank among elementary schools in Belton?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Belton, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Belton on the city page.
Is Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest a good school?
Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Belton 124?
Besides Wilckens Steam Acad @Hillcrest, Belton 124 also operates Belton High (1,258 students), Belton Middle School (641 students), and Cambridge Elem. (501 students). See the Belton 124 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.