Sterling operates 2 public schools serving 475 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 500 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Rice County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,300 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 26.3% local, 67.2% state, and 6.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $73,522 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 52/100, ranked #123 of 252 in Kansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 250:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 14.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.8% White, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American across the district's schools.
Sterling Grade School accounts for 53.6% of all Sterling student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Sterling-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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.
Sterling student-counselor ratio is 250:1 — 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 Sterling is typically wider than the Sterling-aggregate figure suggests.
Sterling chronic absenteeism rate is 14.6% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Sterling has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 475 students.
How much does Sterling spend per student?
Sterling spends $16,300 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #123 in Kansas.
What is the average teacher salary in Sterling?
The average teacher salary in Sterling is $73,522 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Sterling?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Rice County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Sterling?
Sterling students are 92.8% White, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.6% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Sterling?
Sterling has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #123 out of 252 districts in Kansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.