Enrollment
417
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 201226001114
Meadows Elementary — Topeka, KS
Federal NCES profile for Meadows Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 11
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Topeka Public Schools · Kansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Kansas avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.9%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+82% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadows Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Meadows Elementary reports 417 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% below the Kansas state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 21% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 77.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 82% above the Kansas average and 50% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 209 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 35.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Topeka Public Schools spends $17,260 per pupil district-wide, below the Kansas average of $17,342 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 13.8% from local sources (property taxes), 72.4% from the state, and 13.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Meadows Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Kansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.9% | ▲ 82% | 42.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 73% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
77.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 82% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
— 13% below state mean
Top 34% in Kansas — lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
35.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,260
per pupil, district-wide
— below Kansas avg of $17,342
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 209 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 417 Top 73% in Kansas — larger than 27% of 1,354 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 12.6:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 77.9% +82% vs state
NCES ID 201226001114
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 209:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 35.5%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 9
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Topeka Public Schools, which includes Meadows Elementary.
$17,260
Per student
0%
vs Kansas
Avg $17,342
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 13.8%
State 72.4%
Federal 13.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,578
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
Similar other schools in Topeka
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jardine Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Farley Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Ross Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Logan Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Wanamaker Elem
Standard public school
475 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School
Standard public school
447 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Meadows Elementary
How many students attend Meadows Elementary?
Meadows Elementary has 417 students enrolled. It is a other school in Topeka, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadows Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadows Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 13% lower than the Kansas average of 14.4:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meadows Elementary?
77.9% of students at Meadows Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadows Elementary?
Meadows Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.