Enrollment
532
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hutchinson, KS
Prairie Hills Middle
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Hills Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 200420001585
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Hills Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Kansas schools.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in Hutchinson · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 28.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Hills Middle has class sizes larger than 85% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Hills Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Hutchinson, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Hills Middle compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Hills Middle
Prairie Hills Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Hutchinson, Kansas, enrolling 532 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 532 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.
Among 202 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #191, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 532 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Buhler spends $11,029 per pupil, 29% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 164 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 532 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Hutchinson's middle schools, it stands alongside Hutchinson Middle School 7 (284 students): Prairie Hills Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 10.9:1).
Buhler also operates Buhler High (674 students) and Plum Creek Elementary (448 students) alongside Prairie Hills Middle.
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 Prairie Hills Middle compares
Prairie Hills Middle on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▲ 20% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.4% | ▼ 33% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 532 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
532
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in Kansas - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,029
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 532 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
125
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.8 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
White 85.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Two or More 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.7, Prairie Hills Middle is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buhler, which includes Prairie Hills Middle.
$11,029
Per student
-29%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 66.6%
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 Prairie Hills Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buhler High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plum Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union Valley Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buhler Grade School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ad Astra Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Hills Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 171
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools in Hutchinson
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~532 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Hills Middle's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Hills Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Buhler'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 Prairie Hills Middle
How many students attend Prairie Hills Middle?
Prairie Hills Middle has 532 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hutchinson, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Hills Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Hills Middle is 16.6:1, which is 20% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Hills Middle?
28.4% of students at Prairie Hills Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Hills Middle?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Hills Middle is White at 85.0% of enrollment, in Hutchinson, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Hills Middle?
Prairie Hills Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Prairie Hills Middle rank among middle schools in Hutchinson?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Hills Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Hutchinson, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Hutchinson on the city page.
Is Prairie Hills Middle a good school?
Prairie Hills Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Buhler?
Besides Prairie Hills Middle, Buhler also operates Buhler High (674 students), Plum Creek Elementary (448 students), and Union Valley Elem (435 students). See the Buhler 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.