Enrollment
60
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wichita, KS
Sowers Alternative High School
Federal NCES profile for Sowers Alternative High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 201299000316
👥 S:T ratio 83
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sowers Alternative High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Kansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #1 of 13
- high schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4.3:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 88.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sowers Alternative High School has class sizes smaller than 99% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sowers Alternative High School ranks #1 of 13 high schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-69% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.0%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+106% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sowers Alternative High School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sowers Alternative High School
Sowers Alternative High School is a high-poverty, small high school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 60 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.3:1, Sowers Alternative High School is leaner than roughly 99% of Kansas schools and 69% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 88.0% of students qualify for free meals, 106% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Kansas schools, with 60 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 60 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Discipline events run high: 43 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 60 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Wichita's high schools, it stands alongside East High (2,435 students): Sowers Alternative High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (4.3:1 vs 16.8:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Sowers Alternative High School.
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 Sowers Alternative High School compares
Sowers Alternative High School on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.3:1 | ▼ 69% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.0% | ▲ 106% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 60 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.3:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
60
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 106% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
4.3:1
students per teacher
- 69% below state mean
Top 1% in Kansas - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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 60 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 71.7 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 38.3%
African American 31.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
Two or More 10.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.3%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: White at 38.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Sowers Alternative High School is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Sowers Alternative High School.
$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 Sowers Alternative High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sowers Alternative High School'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 high schools in Wichita
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East High
Standard public school
2,435 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Southeast High
Standard public school
2,066 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
North High
Standard public school
2,041 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Campus High Haysville
Standard public school
1,803 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
South High
Standard public school
1,662 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Heights High
Standard public school
1,505 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
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.
Similar enrollment (~60 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~4.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sowers Alternative High School's federal record.
- Compare Sowers Alternative High School 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 Sowers Alternative High School
How many students attend Sowers Alternative High School?
Sowers Alternative High School has 60 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sowers Alternative High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sowers Alternative High School is 4.3:1, which is 69% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 73% 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 Sowers Alternative High School?
88.0% of students at Sowers Alternative High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sowers Alternative High School?
The largest demographic group at Sowers Alternative High School is White at 38.3% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sowers Alternative High School?
Sowers Alternative High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sowers Alternative High School rank among high schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Sowers Alternative High School ranks #1 of 13 high 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 high schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Sowers Alternative High School a good school?
Sowers Alternative High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Kansas schools. 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 Sowers Alternative High School, 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.