Enrollment
171
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kansas City, KS
Emerson Elem
Federal NCES profile for Emerson Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200795001395
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson Elem earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Kansas schools.
- #3 of 25
- elementary schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 85.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson Elem has class sizes smaller than 83% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Elem ranks #3 of 25 elementary schools in Kansas City, KS.
School address
District: Kansas City · Kansas
NCES ID 200795001395 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.7%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+101% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson Elem
Emerson Elem is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kansas City, Kansas, enrolling 171 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.7% of students qualify for free meals, 101% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 171 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 18 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (63%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 171 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kansas City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Piper Creek Elementary (598 students): Emerson Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 16.6:1).
Kansas City also operates Wyandotte High (1,903 students) and Silver City Elem (1,495 students) alongside Emerson 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 Emerson Elem compares
Emerson 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 22% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.7% | ▲ 101% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 171 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
171
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 101% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 17% in Kansas - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
52.6%
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
$16,610
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 171 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 62.6%
African American 22.8%
White 6.4%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, Emerson Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kansas City, which includes Emerson Elem.
$16,610
Per student
+7%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.6%
State 70.8%
Federal 15.6%
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 Emerson Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandotte High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Silver City Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J C Harmon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sumner Academy of Arts & Science | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerson Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,903
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,495
- Students per teacher
- 62.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,285
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,045
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Kansas City
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Piper Creek Elementary
Standard public school
598 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Chelsea Elem
Standard public school
557 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Hazel Grove Elem
Standard public school
537 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
West Park Elementary School
Standard public school
534 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Welborn Elem
Standard public school
504 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Whittier Elem
Standard public school
502 students 12:1 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 (~171 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson Elem's federal record.
- Compare Emerson Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Kansas 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 Emerson Elem
How many students attend Emerson Elem?
Emerson Elem has 171 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kansas City, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elem is 10.7:1, which is 22% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 32% 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 Emerson Elem?
85.7% of students at Emerson Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson Elem?
The largest demographic group at Emerson Elem is Hispanic or Latino at 62.6% of enrollment, in Kansas City, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson Elem?
Emerson Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Emerson Elem rank among elementary schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Elem ranks #3 of 25 elementary schools in Kansas 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 Kansas City on the city page.
Is Emerson Elem a good school?
Emerson Elem earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Kansas City?
Besides Emerson Elem, Kansas City also operates Wyandotte High (1,903 students), Silver City Elem (1,495 students), and J C Harmon High (1,285 students). See the Kansas 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.