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.
Great Bend, Kansas - 7 schools
An equity score of 53/100 ranks Great Bend #116 of 250 districts in Kansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,955 per pupil, Great Bend ranks #131 of 285 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending (Kansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,942
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$14,955
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Great Bend operates 7 public schools serving 2,942 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Barton County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,955 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 29.4% local, 60.4% state, and 10.2% 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 53/100, ranked #116 of 250 in Kansas against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 263.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 19.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 55.7% White, 38.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Park Elem, with a diversity index of 56.7/100.
Its largest campus is Great Bend High School, enrolling 923 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Lincoln Elem, at 275 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Great Bend High School accounts for 31.4% of all Great Bend student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Great Bend-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.
Great Bend school enrollment varies 3.4× across entities
Great Bend school enrollment ranges from 275 students (lowest) to 923 students (highest), a spread of 648 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Great Bend has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 59.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Great Bend student-counselor ratio is 263:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Great Bend is typically wider than the Great Bend-aggregate figure suggests.
Great Bend chronic absenteeism rate is 19.4% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Great Bend is typically wider than the Great Bend-aggregate figure suggests.
Great Bend has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 combined. Total enrollment is 2,942 students.
How much does Great Bend spend per student?
Great Bend spends $14,955 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #116 in Kansas.
What is the demographic composition of Great Bend?
Great Bend students are 55.7% White, 38.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Great Bend?
Great Bend has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #116 out of 250 districts in Kansas.