Enrollment
918
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · De Soto, KS
De Soto High School
Federal NCES profile for De Soto High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200549000127
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
De Soto High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in De Soto · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 15.3%
- free-lunch eligible
De Soto High School has class sizes larger than 79% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, De Soto High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in De Soto, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How De Soto High School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at De Soto High School
De Soto High School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in De Soto, Kansas, enrolling 918 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.3% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Kansas average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 95% of state schools at 918 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 64 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 375 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding De Soto spends $11,364 per pupil, 27% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among De Soto's public schools, it stands alongside Starside Elem (428 students): De Soto High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 11.9:1).
De Soto also operates Mill Valley High School (1,432 students) and Mill Creek Middle School (676 students) alongside De Soto High 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 De Soto High School compares
De Soto High 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.3% | ▼ 64% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 918 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
918
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Kansas - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,364
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
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 375 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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
White 77.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.0, De Soto High School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for De Soto, which includes De Soto High School.
$11,364
Per student
-27%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.9%
State 60.8%
Federal 6.4%
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 De Soto High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mill Creek Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monticello Trails Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mize Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clear Creek Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to De Soto High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,432
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 676
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 655
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in De Soto
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 (~918 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on De Soto High School's federal record.
- Compare De Soto High School against another school. Compare schools
- De Soto'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 De Soto High School
How many students attend De Soto High School?
De Soto High School has 918 students enrolled. It is a public school in De Soto, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at De Soto High School?
The student-teacher ratio at De Soto High School is 15.6:1, which is 13% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at De Soto High School?
15.3% of students at De Soto High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of De Soto High School?
The largest demographic group at De Soto High School is White at 77.9% of enrollment, in De Soto, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for De Soto High School?
De Soto High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does De Soto High School rank among public schools in De Soto?
By Resource Investment Index, De Soto High School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in De Soto, 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 De Soto on the city page.
Is De Soto High School a good school?
De Soto High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 De Soto?
Besides De Soto High School, De Soto also operates Mill Valley High School (1,432 students), Mill Creek Middle School (676 students), and Monticello Trails Middle School (655 students). See the De Soto 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.