Enrollment
208
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, KS
Park Elem
Federal NCES profile for Park Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200507001341
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Park Elem earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Kansas schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 56.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Park Elem has class sizes larger than 89% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Park Elem ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbus, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Park Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Park Elem
Park Elem is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Kansas, enrolling 208 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.3:1 is larger than about 89% of Kansas schools and 25% 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 56.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 208 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 173 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #163, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 416 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside Columbus Junior High and High School (438 students): Park Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.3:1 vs 13.7:1).
Columbus also operates Columbus Junior High and High School (438 students) and Central Elem (348 students) alongside Park 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 Park Elem compares
Park 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 25% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.2% | ▲ 32% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 208 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
208
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in Kansas - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,501
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 76.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
Two or More 6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.3%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, Park Elem is about as mixed as the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbus, which includes Park Elem.
$14,501
Per student
-6%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 70.7%
Federal 6.9%
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 Park Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Junior High and High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Park Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 24.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 130
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~208 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Park Elem's federal record.
- Compare Park Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Columbus'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 Park Elem
How many students attend Park Elem?
Park Elem has 208 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Park Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Park Elem is 17.3:1, which is 25% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Park Elem?
56.2% of students at Park Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Park Elem?
The largest demographic group at Park Elem is White at 76.4% of enrollment, in Columbus, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Park Elem?
Park Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Park Elem rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Park Elem ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Columbus, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Park Elem a good school?
Park Elem earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Columbus?
Besides Park Elem, Columbus also operates Columbus Junior High and High School (438 students), Central Elem (348 students), and Highland Elem (130 students). See the Columbus 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.