Enrollment
380
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gardner, KS
Grand Star Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Grand Star Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200642002070
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grand Star Elementary earns 51/100 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.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Gardner · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Grand Star Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grand Star Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS.
School address
District: Gardner Edgerton · Kansas
NCES ID 200642002070 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grand Star Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grand Star Elementary
Grand Star Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gardner, Kansas, enrolling 380 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.2% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 380 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 283 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #83.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Gardner's public schools, it stands alongside Madison Elementary (521 students): Grand Star Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 14.5:1).
Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students) and Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students) alongside Grand Star Elementary.
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 Grand Star Elementary compares
Grand Star Elementary 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 | 45.2% | ▲ 6% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 33% | - | - |
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.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; 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
17.6%
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 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 51.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.4%
Two or More 8.4%
African American 5.8%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: White at 51.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Grand Star Elementary is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gardner Edgerton, which includes Grand Star Elementary.
$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 Grand Star Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Edgerton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trail Ridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Ridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheatridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grand Star Elementary'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
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
Gardner Elem
Standard public school
304 students 12.2:1 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 (~380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grand Star Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Grand Star Elementary 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 Grand Star Elementary
How many students attend Grand Star Elementary?
Grand Star Elementary has 380 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gardner, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grand Star Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Grand Star Elementary 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 Grand Star Elementary?
45.2% of students at Grand Star Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grand Star Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Grand Star Elementary is White at 51.1% of enrollment, in Gardner, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grand Star Elementary?
Grand Star Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Grand Star Elementary rank among schools in Gardner?
By Resource Investment Index, Grand Star Elementary ranks #3 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 Grand Star Elementary a good school?
Grand Star Elementary earns 51/100 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 Gardner Edgerton?
Besides Grand Star Elementary, 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.