Barber County North

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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Medicine Lodge, Kansas - 2 schools

An equity score of 71/100 ranks Barber County North #34 of 250 districts in Kansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,931 per pupil, Barber County North ranks #91 of 285 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending (Kansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

478
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$15,931
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Barber County North operates 2 public schools serving 478 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Barber County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,931 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 285 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 26.3% local, 60.7% state, and 13.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 71/100, ranked #34 of 250 in Kansas against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 224:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 39.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.0% White, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Medicine Lodge Grade School, enrolling 253 students (53% of the district's total enrollment).

Medicine Lodge Grade School accounts for 52.9% of all Barber County North student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Barber County North a distant remainder — means Barber County North-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Barber County North student-counselor ratio is 224:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Barber County North chronic absenteeism rate is 39.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.0%
Federal
60.7%
State
26.3%
Local

Funding Equity

71
Equity Score
34 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Barber County North.

White 91.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
African American 1.2%
Multiracial 3.9%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

224:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
39.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Barber County North

School Enrollment
Medicine Lodge Grade School
253
Medicine Lodge Jr/Sr High School
224

How Barber County North Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Ellinwood Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Sterling Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Oakley Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Northeast Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Uniontown Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Barber County North's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Kansas

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Wichita
46,796 students · 88 schools · $15,361/pupil
Compare vs Barber County North →
Olathe
29,034 students · 51 schools · $14,650/pupil
Compare vs Barber County North →
Shawnee Mission Pub Sch
26,618 students · 45 schools · $12,112/pupil
Compare vs Barber County North →
Blue Valley
22,384 students · 36 schools · $12,217/pupil
Compare vs Barber County North →
Kansas City
22,015 students · 43 schools · $16,610/pupil
Compare vs Barber County North →

Compare Barber County North

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Wichita →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Barber County North?

Barber County North has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 478 students.

How much does Barber County North spend per student?

Barber County North spends $15,931 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #34 in Kansas.

What is the demographic composition of Barber County North?

Barber County North students are 91.0% White, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Barber County North?

Barber County North has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #34 out of 250 districts in Kansas.