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.
Topeka, Kansas - 26 schools
An equity score of 86/100 ranks Topeka Public Schools #6 of 250 districts in Kansas (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $16,138 per pupil, Topeka Public Schools ranks #86 of 285 Kansas districts by per-pupil spending (Kansas districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
12,858
Total Enrollment
26
Schools
$16,138
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Topeka Public Schools operates 26 public schools serving 12,858 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 combined, 6 middle, 4 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Shawnee County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,138 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 13.8% local, 72.4% state, and 13.8% 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 86/100, ranked #6 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 26 schools offering Advanced Placement (23 AP courses district-wide), a 259.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 37.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 37.2% Hispanic or Latino, 32.3% White, 14.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School, with a diversity index of 75.7/100.
Its largest campus is Topeka High, enrolling 1,578 students (13% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Avondale Academy, at 23 students, a 69x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Topeka Public Schools school enrollment varies 69× across entities
Topeka Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 23 students (lowest) to 1,578 students (highest), a spread of 1,555 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Topeka Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 70.2% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Topeka Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 260:1 — 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 Topeka Public Schools is typically wider than the Topeka Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Topeka Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 37.5% — 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.
Topeka Public Schools has 26 schools, including 4 high, 15 combined, 6 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 12,858 students.
How much does Topeka Public Schools spend per student?
Topeka Public Schools spends $16,138 per student. The district has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #6 in Kansas.
What is the demographic composition of Topeka Public Schools?
Topeka Public Schools students are 37.2% Hispanic or Latino, 32.3% White, 14.4% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 26 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Topeka Public Schools?
Topeka Public Schools has an equity score of 86/100, ranking #6 out of 250 districts in Kansas.