Prairie Hills

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.

Sabetha, Kansas - 7 schools

An equity score of 38/100 ranks Prairie Hills #185 of 250 districts in Kansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,791 per pupil, Prairie Hills ranks #187 of 285 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending (Kansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,068
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$13,791
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Prairie Hills operates 7 public schools serving 1,068 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 3 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 Nemaha County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,791 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 285 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending. See how Kansas compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.0% local, 57.6% state, and 7.4% 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 38/100, ranked #185 of 250 in Kansas against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 470.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.2% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sabetha Elementary School, with a diversity index of 25.6/100.

Its largest campus is Sabetha Elementary School, enrolling 401 students (37% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Wetmore High, at 34 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Sabetha Elementary School accounts for 37.2% of all Prairie Hills student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Prairie Hills-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

Prairie Hills school enrollment varies 12× across entities

Prairie Hills school enrollment ranges from 34 students (lowest) to 401 students (highest), a spread of 367 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

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

Prairie Hills student-counselor ratio is 470:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Prairie Hills chronic absenteeism rate is 20.1% — 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 Prairie Hills is typically wider than the Prairie Hills-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

7.4%
Federal
57.6%
State
35.0%
Local

Funding Equity

38
Equity Score
185 / 250
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Prairie Hills.

White 92.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
African American 0.9%
Multiracial 2.1%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 14.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Prairie Hills's schools, below the Kansas average of 39.4.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sabetha Elementary School 25.6
  2. 2 Sabetha High School 15.7
  3. 3 Sabetha Middle School 13.2
  4. 4 Axtell Elementary School 10.1
  5. 5 Axtell High 7.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
470.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Prairie Hills

School Enrollment
Sabetha Elementary School
401
Sabetha High School
217
Sabetha Middle School
173
Axtell Elementary School
113
Wetmore Elementary
90
Axtell High
49
Wetmore High
34

How Prairie Hills Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Kansas districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Osawatomie Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Nickerson Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Santa Fe Trail Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Girard Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Clearwater Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Prairie Hills'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 Prairie Hills →
Olathe
29,034 students · 51 schools · $14,650/pupil
Compare vs Prairie Hills →
Shawnee Mission Pub Sch
26,618 students · 45 schools · $12,112/pupil
Compare vs Prairie Hills →
Blue Valley
22,384 students · 36 schools · $12,217/pupil
Compare vs Prairie Hills →
Kansas City
22,015 students · 43 schools · $16,610/pupil
Compare vs Prairie Hills →

Compare Prairie Hills

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 Prairie Hills?

Prairie Hills has 7 schools, including 3 combined, 3 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,068 students.

How much does Prairie Hills spend per student?

Prairie Hills spends $13,791 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #185 in Kansas.

What is the demographic composition of Prairie Hills?

Prairie Hills students are 92.2% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Prairie Hills?

Prairie Hills has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #185 out of 250 districts in Kansas.