Enrollment
254
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Valley Center, KS
Abilene Elem
Federal NCES profile for Abilene Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201251000367
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Abilene Elem earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #4 of 7
- public schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 43.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Abilene Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Abilene Elem ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Valley Center, KS.
School address
District: Valley Center Pub Sch · Kansas
NCES ID 201251000367 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Abilene Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Abilene Elem
Abilene Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Valley Center, Kansas, enrolling 254 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.2% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 254 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 286 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #178.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Valley Center's public schools, it stands alongside The Learning Center (78 students): Abilene Elem is larger than that campus by headcount.
Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center High (1,011 students) and Valley Center Middle School (802 students) alongside Abilene Elem.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Abilene Elem compares
Abilene Elem on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.2% | ▲ 1% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 254 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
254
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 61% in Kansas - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,370
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 69.3%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Two or More 7.5%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 69.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Abilene Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center Pub Sch, which includes Abilene Elem.
$14,370
Per student
-7%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 60.0%
Federal 6.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Abilene Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wheatland Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Abilene Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 802
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Valley Center
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~254 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Abilene Elem's federal record.
- Compare Abilene Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center Pub Sch's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Abilene Elem
How many students attend Abilene Elem?
Abilene Elem has 254 students enrolled. It is a public school in Valley Center, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Abilene Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Abilene Elem is 14.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Abilene Elem?
43.2% of students at Abilene Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Abilene Elem?
The largest demographic group at Abilene Elem is White at 69.3% of enrollment, in Valley Center, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Abilene Elem?
Abilene Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Abilene Elem rank among public schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Abilene Elem ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Valley Center, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Valley Center on the city page.
Is Abilene Elem a good school?
Abilene Elem earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Valley Center Pub Sch?
Besides Abilene Elem, Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center High (1,011 students), Valley Center Middle School (802 students), and Valley Center Intermediate School (443 students). See the Valley Center Pub Sch district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.