Enrollment
415
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Shawnee Mission, KS
Merriam Park Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merriam Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201164001897
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merriam Park Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #20 of 33
- schools in Shawnee Mission · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 46.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Merriam Park Elementary has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merriam Park Elementary ranks #20 of 33 schools in Shawnee Mission, KS.
School address
District: Shawnee Mission Pub Sch · Kansas
NCES ID 201164001897 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merriam Park Elementary compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merriam Park Elementary
Merriam Park Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, enrolling 415 students.
At 13.4:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.4% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 415 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 256 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #26, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
17.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Shawnee Mission Pub Sch spends $12,112 per pupil, 22% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Shawnee Mission's public schools, it stands alongside Briarwood Elem (674 students): Merriam Park Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 16.9:1).
Shawnee Mission Pub Sch also operates Shawnee Mission East High (1,737 students) and Shawnee Mission Northwest High (1,599 students) alongside Merriam Park 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 Merriam Park Elementary compares
Merriam Park 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.4% | ▲ 9% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 415 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
415
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Kansas - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,112
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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
White 50.8%
Hispanic or Latino 26.3%
African American 11.8%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.2, Merriam Park Elementary is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shawnee Mission Pub Sch, which includes Merriam Park Elementary.
$12,112
Per student
-22%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 54.4%
Federal 7.9%
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 Merriam Park Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Mission East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shawnee Mission Northwest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shawnee Mission West High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shawnee Mission South High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shawnee Mission North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merriam Park Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,737
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,599
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,599
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,574
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,502
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Shawnee Mission
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Briarwood Elem
Standard public school
674 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Corinth Elem
Standard public school
576 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Brookridge Elem
Standard public school
548 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Shawanoe Elem
Standard public school
530 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Apache Elem
Standard public school
526 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Mill Creek Elem
Standard public school
495 students 17.1:1 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 (~415 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merriam Park Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merriam Park Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Shawnee Mission Pub Sch'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 Merriam Park Elementary
How many students attend Merriam Park Elementary?
Merriam Park Elementary has 415 students enrolled. It is a public school in Shawnee Mission, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merriam Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merriam Park Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 3% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 15% 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 Merriam Park Elementary?
46.4% of students at Merriam Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merriam Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merriam Park Elementary is White at 50.8% of enrollment, in Shawnee Mission, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merriam Park Elementary?
Merriam Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Merriam Park Elementary rank among schools in Shawnee Mission?
By Resource Investment Index, Merriam Park Elementary ranks #20 of 33 schools in Shawnee Mission, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Shawnee Mission on the city page.
Is Merriam Park Elementary a good school?
Merriam Park Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. 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 Shawnee Mission Pub Sch?
Besides Merriam Park Elementary, Shawnee Mission Pub Sch also operates Shawnee Mission East High (1,737 students), Shawnee Mission Northwest High (1,599 students), and Shawnee Mission West High (1,599 students). See the Shawnee Mission Pub Sch 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.