Enrollment
320
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Meriden, KS
Jefferson West Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson West Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200951002023
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson West Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Kansas schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Meriden · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 26.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson West Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson West Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Meriden, KS.
School address
District: Jefferson West · Kansas
NCES ID 200951002023 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson West Elementary School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson West Elementary School
Jefferson West Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Meriden, Kansas, enrolling 320 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 92% of Kansas schools and 29% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 320 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 256 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #232, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Jefferson West also operates Jefferson West Middle (276 students) and Jefferson West High (247 students) alongside Jefferson West Elementary School.
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 Jefferson West Elementary School compares
Jefferson West Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 29% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.1% | ▼ 39% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
320
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in Kansas - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,656
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 86.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.9, Jefferson West Elementary School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson West, which includes Jefferson West Elementary School.
$14,656
Per student
-5%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.6%
State 78.9%
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 Jefferson West Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson West Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson West High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson West Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 247
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~320 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson West Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson West Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson West'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 Jefferson West Elementary School
How many students attend Jefferson West Elementary School?
Jefferson West Elementary School has 320 students enrolled. It is a public school in Meriden, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson West Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson West Elementary School is 17.8:1, which is 29% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jefferson West Elementary School?
26.1% of students at Jefferson West Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson West Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson West Elementary School is White at 86.9% of enrollment, in Meriden, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson West Elementary School?
Jefferson West Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Jefferson West Elementary School rank among public schools in Meriden?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson West Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Meriden, 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 Meriden on the city page.
Is Jefferson West Elementary School a good school?
Jefferson West Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Jefferson West?
Besides Jefferson West Elementary School, Jefferson West also operates Jefferson West Middle (276 students) and Jefferson West High (247 students). See the Jefferson West 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.