Enrollment
392
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Salina, KS
Heusner Elem
Federal NCES profile for Heusner Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201137000509
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heusner Elem earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #9 of 10
- schools in Salina · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 50.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Heusner Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heusner Elem ranks #9 of 10 schools in Salina, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heusner Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heusner Elem
Heusner Elem is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Salina, Kansas, enrolling 392 students.
At 13.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 392 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 257 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #230, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 392 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Salina spends $18,628 per pupil, 20% above the Kansas average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Salina's public schools, it stands alongside Meadowlark Ridge Elem (431 students): Heusner Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 14.4:1).
Salina also operates Salina High South (1,046 students) and Salina High Central (934 students) alongside Heusner 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 Heusner Elem compares
Heusner 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▲ 17% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 392 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
392
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 47% in Kansas - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.8%
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
$18,628
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 392 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 60.7%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
Two or More 11.5%
African American 3.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Heusner Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Salina, which includes Heusner Elem.
$18,628
Per student
+20%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.2%
State 52.9%
Federal 13.8%
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 Heusner Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salina High South | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Salina High Central | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Salina South Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakewood Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark Ridge Elem | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heusner Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,046
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 934
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Salina
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meadowlark Ridge Elem
Standard public school
431 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Stewart Elem
Standard public school
406 students 14:1 students per teacher
Coronado Elem
Standard public school
389 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Sunset Elem
Standard public school
380 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Schilling Elem
Standard public school
376 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Cottonwood Elementary School
Standard public school
326 students 10.2:1 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 (~392 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heusner Elem's federal record.
- Compare Heusner Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Salina'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 Heusner Elem
How many students attend Heusner Elem?
Heusner Elem has 392 students enrolled. It is a public school in Salina, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heusner Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Heusner Elem is 13.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 17% 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 Heusner Elem?
50.0% of students at Heusner Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heusner Elem?
The largest demographic group at Heusner Elem is White at 60.7% of enrollment, in Salina, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heusner Elem?
Heusner Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Heusner Elem rank among schools in Salina?
By Resource Investment Index, Heusner Elem ranks #9 of 10 schools in Salina, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Salina on the city page.
Is Heusner Elem a good school?
Heusner Elem earns 34/100 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 Salina?
Besides Heusner Elem, Salina also operates Salina High South (1,046 students), Salina High Central (934 students), and Salina South Middle (782 students). See the Salina 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.