Enrollment
417
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Topeka, KS
Meadows Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Meadows Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201226001114
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadows Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #8 of 21
- schools in Topeka · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 77.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Meadows Elementary has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadows Elementary ranks #8 of 21 schools in Topeka, KS.
School address
District: Topeka Public Schools · Kansas
NCES ID 201226001114 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-9% 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
What stands out at Meadows Elementary
Meadows Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Topeka, Kansas, enrolling 417 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 77.9% of students qualify for free meals, 82% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 417 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 132 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #21.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 209 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Topeka's public schools, it stands alongside Jardine Elementary (729 students): Meadows Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 13.5:1).
Topeka Public Schools also operates Topeka High (1,578 students) and Topeka West High (971 students) alongside Meadows Elementary.
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 Meadows Elementary compares
Meadows Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 9% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.9% | ▲ 82% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
417
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 82% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in Kansas - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.5%
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
$16,138
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
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
- 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Topeka Public Schools, which includes Meadows Elementary.
$16,138
Per student
+4%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Meadows Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Topeka West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Park High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jardine Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ross Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadows Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,578
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Topeka
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jardine Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Farley Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Ross Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Logan Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Wanamaker Elem
Standard public school
475 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School
Standard public school
447 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~417 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadows Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Meadows Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Topeka Public Schools'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 Meadows Elementary
How many students attend Meadows Elementary?
Meadows Elementary has 417 students enrolled. It is a public 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 9% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 20% 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 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 (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 Meadows Elementary rank among schools in Topeka?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadows Elementary ranks #8 of 21 schools in Topeka, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Topeka on the city page.
Is Meadows Elementary a good school?
Meadows Elementary earns 47/100 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 Topeka Public Schools?
Besides Meadows Elementary, Topeka Public Schools also operates Topeka High (1,578 students), Topeka West High (971 students), and Highland Park High (835 students). See the Topeka Public Schools 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.