Enrollment
404
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Springfield, MO
Willard Central Elem.
Federal NCES profile for Willard Central Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 293201001700
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willard Central Elem. earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #14 of 30
- schools in Springfield · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 30.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Willard Central Elem. has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willard Central Elem. ranks #14 of 30 schools in Springfield, MO.
School address
District: Willard R-Ii · Missouri
NCES ID 293201001700 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willard Central Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willard Central Elem.
Willard Central Elem. is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Springfield, Missouri, enrolling 404 students.
At 12.2:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 404 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 511 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #185.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 404 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Willard R-Ii spends $10,378 per pupil, 20% below the Missouri average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Willard R-Ii also operates Willard High (1,379 students) and Willard Middle (704 students) alongside Willard Central Elem..
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 Willard Central Elem. compares
Willard Central Elem. on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.0% | ▼ 35% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 404 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
404
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 43% in Missouri - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,378
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 404 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
White 91.6%
Two or More 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Asian 1.7%
African American 1.5%
Largest group: White at 91.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.9, Willard Central Elem. is less mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Willard R-Ii, which includes Willard Central Elem..
$10,378
Per student
-20%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.5%
State 38.6%
Federal 13.9%
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 Willard Central Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willard High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willard Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willard South Elem. | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willard Orchard Hills Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willard Intermediate North | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willard Central Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,379
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- 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 (~404 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willard Central Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare Willard Central Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Willard R-Ii'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 Willard Central Elem.
How many students attend Willard Central Elem.?
Willard Central Elem. has 404 students enrolled. It is a public school in Springfield, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willard Central Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at Willard Central Elem. is 12.2:1, which is 5% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 22% 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 Willard Central Elem.?
30.0% of students at Willard Central Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willard Central Elem.?
The largest demographic group at Willard Central Elem. is White at 91.6% of enrollment, in Springfield, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willard Central Elem.?
Willard Central Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Willard Central Elem. rank among schools in Springfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Willard Central Elem. ranks #14 of 30 schools in Springfield, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Springfield on the city page.
Is Willard Central Elem. a good school?
Willard Central Elem. earns 51/100 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 Willard R-Ii?
Besides Willard Central Elem., Willard R-Ii also operates Willard High (1,379 students), Willard Middle (704 students), and Willard South Elem. (395 students). See the Willard R-Ii 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.