Enrollment
435
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hutchinson, KS
Union Valley Elem
Federal NCES profile for Union Valley Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200420000568
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Valley Elem earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Kansas schools.
- #1 of 9
- schools in Hutchinson · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 31.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Valley Elem has class sizes larger than 93% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Valley Elem ranks #1 of 9 schools in Hutchinson, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Valley Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Valley Elem
Union Valley Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hutchinson, Kansas, enrolling 435 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.1:1 is larger than about 93% of Kansas schools and 31% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 31.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 435 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 249 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #164.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 435 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Buhler spends $11,029 per pupil, 29% below the Kansas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Hutchinson's public schools, it stands alongside Plum Creek Elementary (448 students): Union Valley Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.1:1 vs 18.7:1).
Buhler also operates Buhler High (674 students) and Prairie Hills Middle (532 students) alongside Union Valley 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 Union Valley Elem compares
Union Valley 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 31% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.2% | ▼ 27% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
435
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 93% in Kansas - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.5%
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
$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 435 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 85.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
African American 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.4, Union Valley Elem 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 Union Valley Elem.
$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 Union Valley Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buhler High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Hills Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plum Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar 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 Union Valley Elem'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
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 171
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Hutchinson
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Plum Creek Elementary
Standard public school
448 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Morgan Elementary
Standard public school
388 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Mccandless Elementary
Standard public school
346 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Wiley Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Graber Elementary
Standard public school
311 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Hutchinson Virtual School
Standard public school
300 students
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 (~435 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Valley Elem's federal record.
- Compare Union Valley Elem 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 Union Valley Elem
How many students attend Union Valley Elem?
Union Valley Elem has 435 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hutchinson, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Valley Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Valley Elem is 18.1:1, which is 31% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union Valley Elem?
31.2% of students at Union Valley Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Valley Elem?
The largest demographic group at Union Valley Elem is White at 85.3% of enrollment, in Hutchinson, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Valley Elem?
Union Valley Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Union Valley Elem rank among schools in Hutchinson?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Valley Elem ranks #1 of 9 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 schools in Hutchinson on the city page.
Is Union Valley Elem a good school?
Union Valley Elem earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Union Valley Elem, Buhler also operates Buhler High (674 students), Prairie Hills Middle (532 students), and Plum Creek Elementary (448 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.