High school (grades 9-12) · Shawnee Mission, KS

Shawnee Mission West High

Federal NCES profile for Shawnee Mission West High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 201164001578
0/100100/10050/100
👥 S:T ratio
38
📚 AP courses
100
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
36
📋 Attendance
4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Shawnee Mission West High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.

#3 of 5
high schools in Shawnee Mission · Resource Index
50
Resource Index · Higher
15.4:1
large classes for Kansas
43.4%
free-lunch eligible

Shawnee Mission West High has class sizes larger than 77% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Shawnee Mission West High ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Shawnee Mission, KS.

Enrollment

1,599

Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

104.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

15.4:1

vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg

+12% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

43.4%

vs 42.7% Kansas avg

+2% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Shawnee Mission West High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Shawnee Mission West High

Shawnee Mission West High is a large high school in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, enrolling 1,599 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.

Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.4% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,599 students.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.

Against 21 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #11.

Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).

On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.

Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

The surrounding Shawnee Mission Pub Sch spends $12,112 per pupil, 22% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Shawnee Mission's high schools, it stands alongside Shawnee Mission East High (1,737 students): Shawnee Mission West High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 17.4:1).

Shawnee Mission Pub Sch also operates Shawnee Mission East High (1,737 students) and Shawnee Mission Northwest High (1,599 students) alongside Shawnee Mission West High.

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 Mission West High compares

Shawnee Mission West High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Kansas Kansas avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 15.4:1 ▲ 12% 13.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 43.4% ▲ 2% 42.7% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,599 top 1% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,599
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
43.4%
free-lunch eligible - 2% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher - 12% above state mean
Top 77% in Kansas - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.3%
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
$12,112
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
139
in-school suspensions + 157 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.

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 42.0%
Hispanic or Latino 33.3%
African American 14.6%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Largest group: White at 42.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 68.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 68.5, Shawnee Mission West High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.

Programs

AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shawnee Mission Pub Sch, which includes Shawnee Mission West High.

$12,112
Per student
-22%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 54.4%
Federal 7.9%

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 Shawnee Mission West High Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Shawnee Mission East High Similar size Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Shawnee Mission Northwest High Similar size Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Shawnee Mission South High Similar size Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Shawnee Mission North High Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Indian Hills Middle Smaller Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Shawnee Mission West High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Shawnee Mission Pub Sch · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar high schools in Shawnee Mission

5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.

Similar high 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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Shawnee Mission West High's federal record.

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 Mission West High

How many students attend Shawnee Mission West High?

Shawnee Mission West High has 1,599 students enrolled. It is a high school in Shawnee Mission, KS.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Shawnee Mission West High?

The student-teacher ratio at Shawnee Mission West High is 15.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shawnee Mission West High?

43.4% of students at Shawnee Mission West High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shawnee Mission West High?

The largest demographic group at Shawnee Mission West High is White at 42.0% of enrollment, in Shawnee Mission, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.5/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Shawnee Mission West High?

Shawnee Mission West High has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Shawnee Mission West High rank among high schools in Shawnee Mission?

By Resource Investment Index, Shawnee Mission West High ranks #3 of 5 high schools in Shawnee Mission, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Shawnee Mission on the city page.

Is Shawnee Mission West High a good school?

Shawnee Mission West High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 Mission Pub Sch?

Besides Shawnee Mission West High, Shawnee Mission Pub Sch also operates Shawnee Mission East High (1,737 students), Shawnee Mission Northwest High (1,599 students), and Shawnee Mission South High (1,574 students). See the Shawnee Mission Pub Sch district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.