Enrollment
274
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hesston, KS
Hesston High
Federal NCES profile for Hesston High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 200717001194
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hesston High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Hesston · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 20.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hesston High has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hesston High ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hesston, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hesston High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hesston High
Hesston High is a mid-sized high school in Hesston, Kansas, enrolling 274 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.2% free-meal eligibility runs 53% below the Kansas average.
With 274 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 168 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #57.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.4% 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 Elem (306 students) and Hesston Middle (273 students) alongside Hesston High.
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 High compares
Hesston High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.2% | ▼ 53% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
274
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 65% in Kansas - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 88.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.0, Hesston High is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hesston, which includes Hesston High.
$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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesston Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hesston Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hesston High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 306
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high 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 (~274 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hesston High's federal record.
- Compare Hesston High 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 High
How many students attend Hesston High?
Hesston High has 274 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hesston, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hesston High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hesston High is 14.4:1, which is 4% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hesston High?
20.2% of students at Hesston High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hesston High?
The largest demographic group at Hesston High is White at 88.0% of enrollment, in Hesston, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hesston High?
Hesston High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hesston High rank among public schools in Hesston?
By Resource Investment Index, Hesston High ranks #1 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 High a good school?
Hesston High 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 Hesston?
Besides Hesston High, Hesston also operates Hesston Elem (306 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.