Enrollment
362
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Liberal, KS
Meadowlark Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Meadowlark 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 200873002096
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadowlark 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
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 87.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Meadowlark Elementary School has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Liberal, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.6%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+105% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadowlark Elementary School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadowlark Elementary School
Meadowlark Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Liberal, Kansas, enrolling 362 students.
At 12.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 87.6% of students qualify for free meals, 105% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 362 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.
Against 83 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #48.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% 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): Meadowlark Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.9:1 vs 15.2:1).
Liberal also operates Liberal Sr High (1,421 students) and Sunflower Elementary School (570 students) alongside Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark Elementary School compares
Meadowlark 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.6% | ▲ 105% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 105% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 44% in Kansas - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.9%
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 362 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 90.9%
White 4.4%
African American 1.9%
Two or More 1.7%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.1, Meadowlark Elementary School is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Liberal, which includes Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Sr High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunflower Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cottonwood Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seymour Rogers Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadowlark 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 (~362 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadowlark Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark Elementary School
How many students attend Meadowlark Elementary School?
Meadowlark Elementary School has 362 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Liberal, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary School is 12.9:1, which is 7% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meadowlark Elementary School?
87.6% of students at Meadowlark Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadowlark Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Meadowlark Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 90.9% of enrollment, in Liberal, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadowlark Elementary School?
Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Liberal?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark Elementary School a good school?
Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark 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.