Enrollment
274
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hays, KS
Lincoln Elem
Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200702001318
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lincoln Elem earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Kansas schools.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Hays · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 41.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lincoln Elem has class sizes larger than 88% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elem ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Hays, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lincoln Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lincoln Elem
Lincoln Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hays, Kansas, enrolling 274 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.1:1 is larger than about 88% of Kansas schools and 24% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.5% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 274 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 305 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #118.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hays's public schools, it stands alongside Hays Virtual School (262 students): Lincoln Elem is larger than that campus by headcount.
Hays also operates Hays High (1,017 students) and Hays Middle School (726 students) alongside Lincoln 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 Lincoln Elem compares
Lincoln 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 | 17.1:1 | ▲ 24% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.5% | ▼ 3% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
274
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 88% in Kansas - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,127
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 274 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 69.3%
Hispanic or Latino 23.0%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 2.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 69.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, Lincoln Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hays, which includes Lincoln Elem.
$15,127
Per student
-2%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.3%
State 52.3%
Federal 15.4%
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 Lincoln Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hays Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elem | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kathryn O'loughlin Mccarthy Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Elem | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lincoln Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Hays
1 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 (~274 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Elem's federal record.
- Compare Lincoln Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Hays'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 Lincoln Elem
How many students attend Lincoln Elem?
Lincoln Elem has 274 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hays, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elem is 17.1:1, which is 24% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lincoln Elem?
41.5% of students at Lincoln Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lincoln Elem?
The largest demographic group at Lincoln Elem is White at 69.3% of enrollment, in Hays, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Elem?
Lincoln Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Lincoln Elem rank among public schools in Hays?
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elem ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Hays, 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 Hays on the city page.
Is Lincoln Elem a good school?
Lincoln Elem earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Hays?
Besides Lincoln Elem, Hays also operates Hays High (1,017 students), Hays Middle School (726 students), and Roosevelt Elem (420 students). See the Hays 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.