Enrollment
321
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wichita, KS
Peterson Elem
Federal NCES profile for Peterson Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201299000308
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Peterson Elem earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #3 of 61
- schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 47.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Peterson Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Peterson Elem ranks #3 of 61 schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Peterson Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Peterson Elem
Peterson Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 321 students.
At 12.8:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 321 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 290 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 321 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Wichita's public schools, it stands alongside Christa Mcauliffe Academy (829 students): Peterson Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 13.6:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Peterson 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 Peterson Elem compares
Peterson 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.5% | ▲ 11% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 321 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
321
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 42% in Kansas - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,361
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 321 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 50.2%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%
Two or More 13.4%
African American 8.1%
Asian 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 50.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Peterson Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Peterson Elem.
$15,361
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 Peterson Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Peterson Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,662
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Wichita
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Christa Mcauliffe Academy
Standard public school
829 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Minneha Core Knowledge Elem
Standard public school
644 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Woodman Elem
Standard public school
612 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Cloud Elem
Standard public school
580 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Colvin Elem
Standard public school
571 students 13:1 students per teacher
Education Imagine Academy
Standard public school
566 students 29.8:1 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 (~321 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Peterson Elem's federal record.
- Compare Peterson Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Wichita'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 Peterson Elem
How many students attend Peterson Elem?
Peterson Elem has 321 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Peterson Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Peterson Elem is 12.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 18% 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 Peterson Elem?
47.5% of students at Peterson Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Peterson Elem?
The largest demographic group at Peterson Elem is White at 50.2% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Peterson Elem?
Peterson Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Peterson Elem rank among schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Peterson Elem ranks #3 of 61 schools in Wichita, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Peterson Elem a good school?
Peterson Elem earns 55/100 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 Wichita?
Besides Peterson Elem, Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students), Southeast High (2,066 students), and North High (2,041 students). See the Wichita 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.