Enrollment
381
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dodge City, KS
Central Elem
Federal NCES profile for Central Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200558001089
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elem earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools.
- #4 of 6
- elementary schools in Dodge City · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.4:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elem has class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Dodge City, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+84% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+88% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elem
Central Elem is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Dodge City, Kansas, enrolling 381 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.4:1 is larger than about 98% of Kansas schools and 84% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 80.3% of students qualify for free meals, 88% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 381 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 119 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #71.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Dodge City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ross Elementary School (502 students): Central Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.4:1 vs 20.9:1).
Dodge City also operates Dodge City High School (2,178 students) and Dodge City Middle School (808 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elem compares
Central 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 | 25.4:1 | ▲ 84% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 88% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 381 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.4:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
381
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 88% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.4:1
students per teacher
- 84% above state mean
Top 98% in Kansas - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
6.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,648
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 90.3%
White 5.8%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.1, Central Elem is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dodge City, which includes Central Elem.
$12,648
Per student
-18%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.0%
State 76.6%
Federal 12.5%
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 Central Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dodge City Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Comanche Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miller Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ross Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,178
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Dodge City
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ross Elementary School
Standard public school
502 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Northwest Elem
Standard public school
380 students 25.3:1 students per teacher
Soule Elementary School
Standard public school
375 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Linn Elementary
Standard public school
361 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Beeson Elementary
Standard public school
355 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~381 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elem's federal record.
- Compare Central Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Dodge City'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 Central Elem
How many students attend Central Elem?
Central Elem has 381 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dodge City, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elem is 25.4:1, which is 84% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 62% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elem?
80.3% of students at Central Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elem?
The largest demographic group at Central Elem is Hispanic or Latino at 90.3% of enrollment, in Dodge City, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elem?
Central Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Central Elem rank among elementary schools in Dodge City?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem ranks #4 of 6 elementary schools in Dodge City, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Dodge City on the city page.
Is Central Elem a good school?
Central Elem earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools. 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 Dodge City?
Besides Central Elem, Dodge City also operates Dodge City High School (2,178 students), Dodge City Middle School (808 students), and Comanche Middle School (783 students). See the Dodge City 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.