Enrollment
550
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Independence, KS
Independence Sr High
Federal NCES profile for Independence Sr High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 200765001121
👥 S:T ratio 48
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Sr High earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 46.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Sr High has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Sr High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Independence, KS.
School address
District: Independence · Kansas
NCES ID 200765001121 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Sr High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Sr High
Independence Sr High is a large high school in Independence, Kansas, enrolling 550 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.4% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 550 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 179 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 275 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Independence spends $12,179 per pupil, 21% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 187 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 550 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Independence also operates Independence Middle (376 students) and Jefferson School (356 students) alongside Independence Sr 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 Independence Sr High compares
Independence Sr 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.4% | ▲ 9% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 550 | top 14% | - | - |
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.
550
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
23.6%
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
$12,179
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 275 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
140
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 69.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 9.6%
African American 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.7%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 69.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.2, Independence Sr High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence, which includes Independence Sr High.
$12,179
Per student
-21%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 71.5%
Federal 8.7%
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 Independence Sr High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Elem | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bridges Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Sr High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~550 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Sr High's federal record.
- Compare Independence Sr High against another school. Compare schools
- Independence'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 Independence Sr High
How many students attend Independence Sr High?
Independence Sr High has 550 students enrolled. It is a high school in Independence, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Sr High?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Sr High 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 Independence Sr High?
46.4% of students at Independence Sr High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Sr High?
The largest demographic group at Independence Sr High is White at 69.3% of enrollment, in Independence, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Sr High?
Independence Sr High has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Independence Sr High rank among public schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Sr High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Independence, 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 Independence on the city page.
Is Independence Sr High a good school?
Independence Sr High earns 46/100 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 Independence?
Besides Independence Sr High, Independence also operates Independence Middle (376 students), Jefferson School (356 students), and Eisenhower Elem (323 students). See the Independence 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.