Enrollment
320
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gardner, KS
Moonlight Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Moonlight Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200642001716
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Moonlight Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #2 of 6
- schools in Gardner · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 40.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Moonlight Elementary School has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Moonlight Elementary School ranks #2 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS.
School address
District: Gardner Edgerton · Kansas
NCES ID 200642001716 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Moonlight Elementary School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Moonlight Elementary School
Moonlight Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gardner, Kansas, enrolling 320 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 40.5% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 320 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 321 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Gardner's public schools, it stands alongside Madison Elementary (521 students): Moonlight Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 14.5:1).
Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students) and Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students) alongside Moonlight 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 Moonlight Elementary School compares
Moonlight 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 11% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.5% | ▼ 5% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
320
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in Kansas - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,254
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 320 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
White 59.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
Two or More 10.0%
African American 9.1%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 59.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Moonlight Elementary School is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gardner Edgerton, which includes Moonlight Elementary School.
$13,254
Per student
-14%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 68.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Moonlight Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Edgerton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trail Ridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Ridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheatridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Moonlight Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar other schools in Gardner
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Madison Elementary
Standard public school
521 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Grand Star Elementary
Standard public school
380 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Nike Elementary
Standard public school
365 students 13:1 students per teacher
Gardner Elem
Standard public school
304 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Sunflower Elementary
Standard public school
293 students 10.5:1 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 (~320 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Moonlight Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Moonlight Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gardner Edgerton'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 Moonlight Elementary School
How many students attend Moonlight Elementary School?
Moonlight Elementary School has 320 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gardner, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Moonlight Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Moonlight Elementary School is 12.3:1, which is 11% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 22% 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 Moonlight Elementary School?
40.5% of students at Moonlight Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Moonlight Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Moonlight Elementary School is White at 59.7% of enrollment, in Gardner, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Moonlight Elementary School?
Moonlight Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Moonlight Elementary School rank among schools in Gardner?
By Resource Investment Index, Moonlight Elementary School ranks #2 of 6 schools in Gardner, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gardner on the city page.
Is Moonlight Elementary School a good school?
Moonlight Elementary School earns 53/100 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 Gardner Edgerton?
Besides Moonlight Elementary School, Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students), Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students), and Pioneer Ridge Middle School (548 students). See the Gardner Edgerton 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.