Enrollment
186
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Garden City, KS
Gertrude Walker Elem
Federal NCES profile for Gertrude Walker Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200639001176
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gertrude Walker Elem earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #13 of 13
- elementary schools in Garden City · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 72.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Gertrude Walker Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gertrude Walker Elem ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in Garden City, KS.
School address
District: Garden City · Kansas
NCES ID 200639001176 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gertrude Walker Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gertrude Walker Elem
Gertrude Walker Elem is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Garden City, Kansas, enrolling 186 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 72.1% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 186 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 56 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #46, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (62%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 186 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 64 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 186 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Garden City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Kenneth Henderson Middle (425 students): Gertrude Walker Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 14.7:1).
Garden City also operates Garden City High School (1,946 students) and Jennie Wilson Elem (796 students) alongside Gertrude Walker 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 Gertrude Walker Elem compares
Gertrude Walker 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.1% | ▲ 69% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 186 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
186
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 36% in Kansas - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.6%
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
$12,807
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 186 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.4 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 62.4%
African American 16.7%
Asian 9.1%
White 6.5%
Two or More 4.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 62.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.8, Gertrude Walker Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garden City, which includes Gertrude Walker Elem.
$12,807
Per student
-17%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 68.1%
Federal 9.6%
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 Gertrude Walker Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jennie Wilson Elem | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horace J. Good Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenneth Henderson Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles O Stones Intermediate Ctr | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gertrude Walker Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,946
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 56.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Garden City
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kenneth Henderson Middle
Standard public school
425 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Charles O Stones Intermediate Ctr
Standard public school
377 students 13:1 students per teacher
Florence Wilson Elem
Standard public school
376 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Bernadine Sitts Intermediate Ctr
Standard public school
367 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Victor Ornelas Elem
Standard public school
351 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Alta Brown Elem
Standard public school
336 students 12.9:1 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 (~186 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gertrude Walker Elem's federal record.
- Compare Gertrude Walker Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Garden 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 Gertrude Walker Elem
How many students attend Gertrude Walker Elem?
Gertrude Walker Elem has 186 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Garden City, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gertrude Walker Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Gertrude Walker Elem is 12.4:1, which is 10% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 21% 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 Gertrude Walker Elem?
72.1% of students at Gertrude Walker Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gertrude Walker Elem?
The largest demographic group at Gertrude Walker Elem is Hispanic or Latino at 62.4% of enrollment, in Garden City, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gertrude Walker Elem?
Gertrude Walker Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Gertrude Walker Elem rank among elementary schools in Garden City?
By Resource Investment Index, Gertrude Walker Elem ranks #13 of 13 elementary schools in Garden 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 Garden City on the city page.
Is Gertrude Walker Elem a good school?
Gertrude Walker Elem earns 37/100 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 Garden City?
Besides Gertrude Walker Elem, Garden City also operates Garden City High School (1,946 students), Jennie Wilson Elem (796 students), and Horace J. Good Middle School (583 students). See the Garden 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.