Enrollment
276
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Abilene, KS
Kennedy Elem
Federal NCES profile for Kennedy Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200318001060
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kennedy Elem earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Kansas schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Abilene · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 37.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Kennedy Elem has class sizes larger than 89% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Elem ranks #3 of 4 schools in Abilene, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kennedy Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kennedy Elem
Kennedy Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Abilene, Kansas, enrolling 276 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.3:1 is larger than about 89% of Kansas schools and 25% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.5% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 276 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 303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #289, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Abilene spends $12,442 per pupil, 20% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Abilene's public schools, it stands alongside Blue Ridge Elem (71 students): Kennedy Elem is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 10.1:1).
Abilene also operates Abilene High School (443 students) and Abilene Middle School (319 students) alongside Kennedy 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 Kennedy Elem compares
Kennedy 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 25% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.5% | ▼ 12% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 276 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
276
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in Kansas - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.4%
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
$12,442
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 276 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 80.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.5, Kennedy Elem is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Abilene, which includes Kennedy Elem.
$12,442
Per student
-20%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.2%
State 71.1%
Federal 7.7%
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 Kennedy Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Abilene Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Abilene Virtual School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Kennedy Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 319
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 218
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 196
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar other schools in Abilene
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~276 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kennedy Elem's federal record.
- Compare Kennedy Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Abilene'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 Kennedy Elem
How many students attend Kennedy Elem?
Kennedy Elem has 276 students enrolled. It is a public school in Abilene, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Elem is 17.3:1, which is 25% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kennedy Elem?
37.5% of students at Kennedy Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kennedy Elem?
The largest demographic group at Kennedy Elem is White at 80.1% of enrollment, in Abilene, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kennedy Elem?
Kennedy Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Kennedy Elem rank among schools in Abilene?
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Elem ranks #3 of 4 schools in Abilene, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Abilene on the city page.
Is Kennedy Elem a good school?
Kennedy Elem earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Abilene?
Besides Kennedy Elem, Abilene also operates Abilene High School (443 students), Abilene Middle School (319 students), and Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary (218 students). See the Abilene 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.