Enrollment
405
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wichita, KS
Gardiner Elem
Federal NCES profile for Gardiner Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201299000276
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gardiner Elem earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #22 of 61
- schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 92.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Gardiner Elem has class sizes smaller than 71% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gardiner Elem ranks #22 of 61 schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+116% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardiner Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gardiner Elem
Gardiner Elem is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 405 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 92.3% of students qualify for free meals, 116% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 405 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 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and African American (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 225 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Wichita's public schools, it stands alongside Christa Mcauliffe Academy (829 students): Gardiner Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 13.6:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Gardiner 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 Gardiner Elem compares
Gardiner 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.3% | ▲ 116% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 405 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
405
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 116% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 29% in Kansas - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.8%
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
$15,361
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
Counselors1.8 FTE
Per 225 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 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 54.1%
African American 16.5%
White 16.3%
Two or More 10.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Gardiner Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Gardiner Elem.
$15,361
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 Gardiner Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gardiner Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,662
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Wichita
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Christa Mcauliffe Academy
Standard public school
829 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Minneha Core Knowledge Elem
Standard public school
644 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Woodman Elem
Standard public school
612 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Cloud Elem
Standard public school
580 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Colvin Elem
Standard public school
571 students 13:1 students per teacher
Education Imagine Academy
Standard public school
566 students 29.8:1 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 (~405 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gardiner Elem's federal record.
- Compare Gardiner Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Wichita'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 Gardiner Elem
How many students attend Gardiner Elem?
Gardiner Elem has 405 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardiner Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardiner Elem is 11.9:1, which is 14% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 24% 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 Gardiner Elem?
92.3% of students at Gardiner Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardiner Elem?
The largest demographic group at Gardiner Elem is Hispanic or Latino at 54.1% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardiner Elem?
Gardiner Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Gardiner Elem rank among schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Gardiner Elem ranks #22 of 61 schools in Wichita, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Gardiner Elem a good school?
Gardiner Elem earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Wichita?
Besides Gardiner Elem, Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students), Southeast High (2,066 students), and North High (2,041 students). See the Wichita 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.