Enrollment
51
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Atchison, KS
Central School
Federal NCES profile for Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200354001868
👥 S:T ratio 71
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Kansas schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Atchison · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.3:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 84.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Atchison, KS.
School address
District: Atchison Public Schools · Kansas
NCES ID 200354001868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.9%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+99% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central School
Central School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Atchison, Kansas, enrolling 51 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.3:1, Central School is leaner than roughly 96% of Kansas schools and 47% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 84.9% of students qualify for free meals, 99% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Kansas schools, with 51 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Two or More (10%) (diversity index 40/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 92.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Atchison's public schools, it stands alongside Atchison Elementary School (693 students): Central School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.3:1 vs 12.6:1).
Atchison Public Schools also operates Atchison Elementary School (693 students) and Atchison High School (419 students) alongside Central School.
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 School compares
Central School on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.3:1 | ▼ 47% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.9% | ▲ 99% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 51 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.3:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
51
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 99% 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
7.3:1
students per teacher
- 47% below state mean
Top 4% in Kansas - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
92.2%
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
$13,673
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 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 76.5%
Two or More 9.8%
African American 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: White at 76.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.7, Central School is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atchison Public Schools, which includes Central School.
$13,673
Per student
-12%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.7%
State 74.2%
Federal 10.2%
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 School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atchison High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atchison Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 693
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 419
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 287
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Atchison
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 (~51 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central School's federal record.
- Compare Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Atchison Public Schools'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 School
How many students attend Central School?
Central School has 51 students enrolled. It is a public school in Atchison, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central School is 7.3:1, which is 47% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 54% 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 School?
84.9% of students at Central School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central School?
The largest demographic group at Central School is White at 76.5% of enrollment, in Atchison, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central School?
Central School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central School rank among public schools in Atchison?
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Atchison, 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 Atchison on the city page.
Is Central School a good school?
Central School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Atchison Public Schools?
Besides Central School, Atchison Public Schools also operates Atchison Elementary School (693 students), Atchison High School (419 students), and Atchison Middle School (287 students). See the Atchison Public Schools 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.