Enrollment
678
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wichita, KS
Mead Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Mead Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 201299001919
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mead Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #16 of 17
- middle schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 86.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Mead Middle School has class sizes larger than 85% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mead Middle School ranks #16 of 17 middle schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+102% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mead Middle School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mead Middle School
Mead Middle School is a high-poverty, large middle school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 678 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.2% of students qualify for free meals, 102% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 91% of state schools at 678 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 55 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #25.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and African American (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 339 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 440 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 678 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Wichita's middle schools, it stands alongside Truesdell Middle School (924 students): Mead Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 12.5:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Mead Middle 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 Mead Middle School compares
Mead Middle 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 20% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.2% | ▲ 102% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 678 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
678
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 102% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in Kansas - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.3%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 339 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
273
in-school suspensions + 167 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 40.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 64.9 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 46.9%
African American 24.2%
White 15.9%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Mead Middle School 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 Mead Middle School.
$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 Mead Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Lower 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 Mead Middle School'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 middle schools in Wichita
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Truesdell Middle School
Standard public school
924 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Curtis Middle School
Standard public school
846 students 13:1 students per teacher
Wilbur Middle School
Standard public school
822 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley Middle School
Standard public school
760 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Robinson Middle School
Standard public school
682 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Coleman Middle School
Standard public school
631 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~678 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mead Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Mead Middle School 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 Mead Middle School
How many students attend Mead Middle School?
Mead Middle School has 678 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mead Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mead Middle School is 16.5:1, which is 20% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mead Middle School?
86.2% of students at Mead Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mead Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Mead Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.9% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mead Middle School?
Mead Middle 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 Mead Middle School rank among middle schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Mead Middle School ranks #16 of 17 middle 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 middle schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Mead Middle School a good school?
Mead Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Mead Middle School, 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.