An equity score of 60/100 ranks Paola #83 of 252 districts in Kansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $22,404 per pupil, Paola ranks #13 of 286 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending (Kansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,815
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$22,404
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Paola operates 4 public schools serving 1,815 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined, 1 elementary 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 Miami County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,404 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 29 of 286 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 52.0% local, 38.7% state, and 9.3% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 60/100, ranked #83 of 252 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 301:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 18.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.1% White, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Cottonwood Elem, with a diversity index of 25.6/100.
Its largest campus is Paola High, enrolling 567 students (33% of the district's total enrollment).
Paola High accounts for 31.2% of all Paola student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Paola-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Paola student-counselor ratio is 301:1 — 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 Paola is typically wider than the Paola-aggregate figure suggests.
Paola chronic absenteeism rate is 18.8% — 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 Paola is typically wider than the Paola-aggregate figure suggests.