Enrollment
463
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Independence, MO
William Yates Elem.
Federal NCES profile for William Yates Elem., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 290531000087
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William Yates Elem. earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 39.6%
- free-lunch eligible
William Yates Elem. has class sizes larger than 79% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William Yates Elem. ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Independence, MO.
School address
District: Blue Springs R-Iv · Missouri
NCES ID 290531000087 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.6%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William Yates Elem. compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at William Yates Elem.
William Yates Elem. is a mid-sized elementary school in Independence, Missouri, enrolling 463 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.6% lands close to the Missouri typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 463 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 492 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #247.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Blue Springs R-Iv also operates Blue Springs High (2,429 students) and Blue Springs South High (2,299 students) alongside William Yates 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 William Yates Elem. compares
William Yates 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.6% | ▼ 14% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 463 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Missouri - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.4%
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
$11,399
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 463 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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 42.5%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
African American 18.4%
Two or More 10.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 42.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.2, William Yates Elem. is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blue Springs R-Iv, which includes William Yates Elem..
$11,399
Per student
-12%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.8%
State 25.6%
Federal 7.6%
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 William Yates Elem. Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Springs High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blue Springs South High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul Kinder Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Delta Woods Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moreland Ridge Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William Yates Elem.'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,429
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,299
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 919
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 831
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 813
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~463 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William Yates Elem.'s federal record.
- Compare William Yates Elem. against another school. Compare schools
- Blue Springs R-Iv'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 William Yates Elem.
How many students attend William Yates Elem.?
William Yates Elem. has 463 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Independence, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William Yates Elem.?
The student-teacher ratio at William Yates Elem. is 14.9:1, which is 16% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William Yates Elem.?
39.6% of students at William Yates Elem. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William Yates Elem.?
The largest demographic group at William Yates Elem. is White at 42.5% of enrollment, in Independence, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William Yates Elem.?
William Yates Elem. has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 William Yates Elem. rank among elementary schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, William Yates Elem. ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Independence, 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 Independence on the city page.
Is William Yates Elem. a good school?
William Yates Elem. earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Blue Springs R-Iv?
Besides William Yates Elem., Blue Springs R-Iv also operates Blue Springs High (2,429 students), Blue Springs South High (2,299 students), and Paul Kinder Middle School (919 students). See the Blue Springs R-Iv 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.