Enrollment
306
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hesston, KS
Hesston Elem
Federal NCES profile for Hesston Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200717001192
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hesston Elem earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Kansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Hesston · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 18.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hesston Elem has class sizes larger than 88% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hesston Elem ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Hesston, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hesston Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hesston Elem
Hesston Elem is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hesston, Kansas, enrolling 306 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17:1 is larger than about 88% of Kansas schools and 23% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.1% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the Kansas average.
With 306 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 171 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #71.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Hesston spends $11,389 per pupil, 26% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Hesston also operates Hesston High (274 students) and Hesston Middle (273 students) alongside Hesston 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 Hesston Elem compares
Hesston 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 23% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.1% | ▼ 58% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 306 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
306
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 88% in Kansas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,389
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 306 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 82.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 82.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.5, Hesston Elem is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hesston, which includes Hesston Elem.
$11,389
Per student
-26%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.0%
State 74.5%
Federal 6.5%
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 Hesston Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesston High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hesston Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hesston Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~306 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hesston Elem's federal record.
- Compare Hesston Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Hesston'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 Hesston Elem
How many students attend Hesston Elem?
Hesston Elem has 306 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hesston, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hesston Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Hesston Elem is 17:1, which is 23% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hesston Elem?
18.1% of students at Hesston Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hesston Elem?
The largest demographic group at Hesston Elem is White at 82.0% of enrollment, in Hesston, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hesston Elem?
Hesston Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Hesston Elem rank among public schools in Hesston?
By Resource Investment Index, Hesston Elem ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Hesston, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hesston on the city page.
Is Hesston Elem a good school?
Hesston Elem earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Hesston?
Besides Hesston Elem, Hesston also operates Hesston High (274 students) and Hesston Middle (273 students). See the Hesston 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.