Enrollment
254
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Olathe, KS
Central Elem
Federal NCES profile for Central Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201014000130
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elem earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #21 of 36
- schools in Olathe · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 65.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elem has class sizes smaller than 75% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem ranks #21 of 36 schools in Olathe, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.9%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+54% 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 higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Olathe, Kansas, enrolling 254 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.9% of students eligible for free meals.
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 130 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (56%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Olathe's public schools, it stands alongside Clearwater Creek Elementary (522 students): Central Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.5:1 vs 14.9:1).
Olathe also operates Olathe North Sr High (2,011 students) and Olathe Northwest High School (1,958 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.9% | ▲ 54% | 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
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
254
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 25% in Kansas - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,650
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
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 56.3%
White 26.8%
Two or More 9.1%
African American 6.7%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 56.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Central Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Olathe, which includes Central Elem.
$14,650
Per student
-5%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 56.9%
Federal 5.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olathe North Sr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olathe Northwest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olathe East Sr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olathe South Sr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olathe West High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher 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
- 2,011
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,958
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,844
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,778
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,557
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Olathe
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Clearwater Creek Elementary
Standard public school
522 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Mahaffie Elem
Standard public school
449 students 16:1 students per teacher
Regency Place Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Prairie Creek Elementary
Standard public school
432 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Forest View Elem
Standard public school
419 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Ravenwood Elementary
Standard public school
418 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elem's federal record.
- Compare Central Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Olathe'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 254 students enrolled. It is a public school in Olathe, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elem is 11.5:1, which is 17% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elem?
65.9% 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 56.3% of enrollment, in Olathe, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elem?
Central Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 schools in Olathe?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elem ranks #21 of 36 schools in Olathe, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Olathe on the city page.
Is Central Elem a good school?
Central Elem earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Olathe?
Besides Central Elem, Olathe also operates Olathe North Sr High (2,011 students), Olathe Northwest High School (1,958 students), and Olathe East Sr High (1,844 students). See the Olathe 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.