Wichita operates 88 public schools serving 46,796 students, placing it among the larger districts in Kansas. The school portfolio breaks down into 57 other, 16 middle, 12 high, 3 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 47,771 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Sedgwick County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,357 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 17.2% local, 70.9% state, and 11.9% 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 $83,215 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 70/100, ranked #35 of 252 in Kansas against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 88 schools offering Advanced Placement (68 AP courses district-wide), a 409.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 33.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 37.2% Hispanic or Latino, 29.1% White, 19.8% African American across the district's schools.
Wichita school enrollment varies 68× across entities
Wichita school enrollment ranges from 36 students (lowest) to 2,435 students (highest), a spread of 2,399 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Wichita has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 74.2% 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). 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.
Wichita student-counselor ratio is 410:1 — 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.
Wichita chronic absenteeism rate is 33.1% — 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.
Wichita has 88 schools, including 12 high, 16 middle, 57 other, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 46,796 students.
How much does Wichita spend per student?
Wichita spends $17,357 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #35 in Kansas.
What is the average teacher salary in Wichita?
The average teacher salary in Wichita is $83,215 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Wichita?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Sedgwick County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Wichita?
Wichita students are 37.2% Hispanic or Latino, 29.1% White, 19.8% African American, 3.8% Asian, averaged across 88 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Wichita?
Wichita has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #35 out of 252 districts in Kansas. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.