Enrollment
429
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wichita, KS
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy
Federal NCES profile for Kelly Liberal Arts Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201299001086
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #19 of 61
- schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy has class sizes larger than 80% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kelly Liberal Arts Academy ranks #19 of 61 schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kelly Liberal Arts Academy compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kelly Liberal Arts Academy
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 429 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 76.3% of students qualify for free meals, 79% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 429 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.
Against 134 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 429 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Wichita's public schools, it stands alongside Christa Mcauliffe Academy (829 students): Kelly Liberal Arts Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 13.6:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Kelly Liberal Arts Academy.
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 Kelly Liberal Arts Academy compares
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 15% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 79% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 80% in Kansas - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.5%
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
$15,361
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 429 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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 40.1%
Hispanic or Latino 30.1%
African American 17.2%
Two or More 11.4%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 40.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.6, Kelly Liberal Arts Academy is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Kelly Liberal Arts Academy.
$15,361
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 Kelly Liberal Arts Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kelly Liberal Arts Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,662
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Wichita
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Christa Mcauliffe Academy
Standard public school
829 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Minneha Core Knowledge Elem
Standard public school
644 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Woodman Elem
Standard public school
612 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Cloud Elem
Standard public school
580 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Colvin Elem
Standard public school
571 students 13:1 students per teacher
Education Imagine Academy
Standard public school
566 students 29.8:1 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 (~429 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kelly Liberal Arts Academy's federal record.
- Compare Kelly Liberal Arts Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Wichita'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 Kelly Liberal Arts Academy
How many students attend Kelly Liberal Arts Academy?
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy has 429 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kelly Liberal Arts Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Kelly Liberal Arts Academy is 15.9:1, which is 15% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kelly Liberal Arts Academy?
76.3% of students at Kelly Liberal Arts Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kelly Liberal Arts Academy?
The largest demographic group at Kelly Liberal Arts Academy is White at 40.1% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kelly Liberal Arts Academy?
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Kelly Liberal Arts Academy rank among schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Kelly Liberal Arts Academy ranks #19 of 61 schools in Wichita, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Kelly Liberal Arts Academy a good school?
Kelly Liberal Arts Academy earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Wichita?
Besides Kelly Liberal Arts Academy, Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students), Southeast High (2,066 students), and North High (2,041 students). See the Wichita 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.