Enrollment
386
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Liberal, KS
Macarthur Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Macarthur Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200873001279
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Macarthur Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Liberal · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 57.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Macarthur Elementary School has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Macarthur Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Liberal, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.3%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Macarthur Elementary School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Macarthur Elementary School
Macarthur Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Liberal, Kansas, enrolling 386 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 386 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.
Among 210 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #178, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 386 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Liberal's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cottonwood Elementary School (500 students): Macarthur Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 15.2:1).
Liberal also operates Liberal Sr High (1,421 students) and Sunflower Elementary School (570 students) alongside Macarthur 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 Macarthur Elementary School compares
Macarthur 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.3% | ▲ 34% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 386 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
386
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 63% in Kansas - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.7%
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
$12,495
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 386 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
Hispanic or Latino 78.5%
White 15.5%
Asian 2.1%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.9, Macarthur Elementary School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Liberal, which includes Macarthur Elementary School.
$12,495
Per student
-19%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.3%
State 75.9%
Federal 9.8%
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 Macarthur Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Sr High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunflower Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cottonwood Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seymour Rogers Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Macarthur Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,421
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 25.9:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 500
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar elementary schools in Liberal
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~386 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Macarthur Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Macarthur Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Liberal'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 Macarthur Elementary School
How many students attend Macarthur Elementary School?
Macarthur Elementary School has 386 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Liberal, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Macarthur Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Macarthur Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 4% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Macarthur Elementary School?
57.3% of students at Macarthur Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Macarthur Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Macarthur Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 78.5% of enrollment, in Liberal, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Macarthur Elementary School?
Macarthur Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Macarthur Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Liberal?
By Resource Investment Index, Macarthur Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Liberal, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Liberal on the city page.
Is Macarthur Elementary School a good school?
Macarthur Elementary School earns 34/100 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 Liberal?
Besides Macarthur Elementary School, Liberal also operates Liberal Sr High (1,421 students), Sunflower Elementary School (570 students), and Eisenhower Middle School (516 students). See the Liberal 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.