Enrollment
304
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gardner, KS
Gardner Elem
Federal NCES profile for Gardner Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200642000120
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gardner Elem earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Gardner · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 36.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Gardner Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gardner Elem ranks #5 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS.
School address
District: Gardner Edgerton · Kansas
NCES ID 200642000120 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardner Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gardner Elem
Gardner Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gardner, Kansas, enrolling 304 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.5% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 304 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.
Among 309 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #221, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Gardner's public schools, it stands alongside Madison Elementary (521 students): Gardner Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 14.5:1).
Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students) and Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students) alongside Gardner 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 Gardner Elem compares
Gardner 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.5% | ▼ 15% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 304 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
304
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 33% in Kansas - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,254
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 67.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 11.5%
African American 4.3%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.5, Gardner Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gardner Edgerton, which includes Gardner Elem.
$13,254
Per student
-14%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 68.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Gardner Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Edgerton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trail Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Ridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheatridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gardner Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar other schools in Gardner
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Madison Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Grand Star Elementary
Standard public school
380 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Nike Elementary
Standard public school
365 students 13:1 students per teacher
Moonlight Elementary School
Standard public school
320 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Sunflower Elementary
Standard public school
293 students 10.5:1 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 (~304 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gardner Elem's federal record.
- Compare Gardner Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Gardner Edgerton'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 Gardner Elem
How many students attend Gardner Elem?
Gardner Elem has 304 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gardner, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardner Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardner Elem is 12.2:1, which is 12% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 22% 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 Gardner Elem?
36.5% of students at Gardner Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardner Elem?
The largest demographic group at Gardner Elem is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Gardner, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardner Elem?
Gardner Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Gardner Elem rank among schools in Gardner?
By Resource Investment Index, Gardner Elem ranks #5 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gardner on the city page.
Is Gardner Elem a good school?
Gardner Elem earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. 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 Gardner Edgerton?
Besides Gardner Elem, Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students), Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students), and Pioneer Ridge Middle School (548 students). See the Gardner Edgerton 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.