Enrollment
429
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Topeka, KS
Shawnee Heights Elem
Federal NCES profile for Shawnee Heights Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201218001134
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shawnee Heights Elem earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #5 of 21
- schools in Topeka · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 27.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Shawnee Heights Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shawnee Heights Elem ranks #5 of 21 schools in Topeka, KS.
School address
District: Shawnee Heights · Kansas
NCES ID 201218001134 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.0%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shawnee Heights Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shawnee Heights Elem
Shawnee Heights Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Topeka, Kansas, enrolling 429 students.
At 13.4:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 27.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 429 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 240 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #78.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 429 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Shawnee Heights spends $11,626 per pupil, 25% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Topeka's public schools, it stands alongside Jardine Elementary (729 students): Shawnee Heights Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 13.5:1).
Shawnee Heights also operates Shawnee Heights High (1,218 students) and Berryton Elem (560 students) alongside Shawnee Heights 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 Shawnee Heights Elem compares
Shawnee Heights 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.0% | ▼ 37% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Kansas - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,626
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 429 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 60.6%
Hispanic or Latino 21.9%
Two or More 13.1%
African American 3.5%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 60.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.6, Shawnee Heights Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shawnee Heights, which includes Shawnee Heights Elem.
$11,626
Per student
-25%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.5%
State 72.2%
Federal 9.3%
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 Shawnee Heights Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Heights High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berryton Elem | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shawnee Heights Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tecumseh South Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tecumseh North Elem | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shawnee Heights Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Topeka
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jardine Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Farley Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Ross Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Logan Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Wanamaker Elem
Standard public school
475 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School
Standard public school
447 students 11.5:1 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 (~429 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shawnee Heights Elem's federal record.
- Compare Shawnee Heights Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Shawnee Heights'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 Shawnee Heights Elem
How many students attend Shawnee Heights Elem?
Shawnee Heights Elem has 429 students enrolled. It is a public school in Topeka, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shawnee Heights Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Shawnee Heights Elem is 13.4:1, which is 3% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 15% 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 Shawnee Heights Elem?
27.0% of students at Shawnee Heights Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shawnee Heights Elem?
The largest demographic group at Shawnee Heights Elem is White at 60.6% of enrollment, in Topeka, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shawnee Heights Elem?
Shawnee Heights Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Shawnee Heights Elem rank among schools in Topeka?
By Resource Investment Index, Shawnee Heights Elem ranks #5 of 21 schools in Topeka, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Topeka on the city page.
Is Shawnee Heights Elem a good school?
Shawnee Heights Elem earns 52/100 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 Shawnee Heights?
Besides Shawnee Heights Elem, Shawnee Heights also operates Shawnee Heights High (1,218 students), Berryton Elem (560 students), and Shawnee Heights Middle (540 students). See the Shawnee Heights 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.