Enrollment
380
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dodge City, KS
Northwest Elem
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200558001092
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Elem earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools.
- #2 of 6
- elementary schools in Dodge City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.3:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 59.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Elem has class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elem ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Dodge City, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+83% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.9%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Elem
Northwest Elem is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Dodge City, Kansas, enrolling 380 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.3:1 is larger than about 98% of Kansas schools and 83% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 59.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 380 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 204 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #102.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (79%) and White (18%) (diversity index 34/100).
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Dodge City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ross Elementary School (502 students): Northwest Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.3:1 vs 20.9:1).
Dodge City also operates Dodge City High School (2,178 students) and Dodge City Middle School (808 students) alongside Northwest Elem.
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 Northwest Elem compares
Northwest Elem on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.3:1 | ▲ 83% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.9% | ▲ 40% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.3:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
25.3:1
students per teacher
- 83% above state mean
Top 98% in Kansas - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,648
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
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 79.2%
White 17.6%
African American 1.6%
Two or More 1.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 79.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.1, Northwest Elem is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dodge City, which includes Northwest Elem.
$12,648
Per student
-18%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.0%
State 76.6%
Federal 12.5%
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 Northwest Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dodge City Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Comanche Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Miller Elem | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ross Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,178
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Dodge City
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ross Elementary School
Standard public school
502 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Central Elem
Standard public school
381 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Soule Elementary School
Standard public school
375 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Linn Elementary
Standard public school
361 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Beeson Elementary
Standard public school
355 students 22.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Elem's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Dodge City'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 Northwest Elem
How many students attend Northwest Elem?
Northwest Elem has 380 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dodge City, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elem is 25.3:1, which is 83% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 61% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwest Elem?
59.9% of students at Northwest Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Elem?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Elem is Hispanic or Latino at 79.2% of enrollment, in Dodge City, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Elem?
Northwest Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Northwest Elem rank among elementary schools in Dodge City?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elem ranks #2 of 6 elementary schools in Dodge City, 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 Dodge City on the city page.
Is Northwest Elem a good school?
Northwest Elem earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of 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 Dodge City?
Besides Northwest Elem, Dodge City also operates Dodge City High School (2,178 students), Dodge City Middle School (808 students), and Comanche Middle School (783 students). See the Dodge City 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.