Enrollment
1,011
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Valley Center, KS
Valley Center High
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 201251000370
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 29.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center High has class sizes larger than 79% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center High ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Valley Center, KS.
School address
District: Valley Center Pub Sch · Kansas
NCES ID 201251000370 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center High
Valley Center High is a large high school in Valley Center, Kansas, enrolling 1,011 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,011 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 52 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 43/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center Middle School (802 students) and Valley Center Intermediate School (443 students) alongside Valley Center 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 Valley Center High compares
Valley Center 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.5% | ▼ 31% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,011 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,011
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Kansas - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$14,370
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 73.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 6.7%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.8, Valley Center High is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center Pub Sch, which includes Valley Center High.
$14,370
Per student
-7%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.5%
State 60.0%
Federal 6.5%
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 Valley Center High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wheatland Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Elem | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Abilene Elem | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 802
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 443
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~1,011 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center High's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center High against another school. Compare schools
- Valley Center Pub Sch'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 Valley Center High
How many students attend Valley Center High?
Valley Center High has 1,011 students enrolled. It is a high school in Valley Center, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center High?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center High is 15.6:1, which is 13% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Center High?
29.5% of students at Valley Center High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center High?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center High is White at 73.7% of enrollment, in Valley Center, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center High?
Valley Center High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Valley Center High rank among public schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center High ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Valley Center, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Valley Center on the city page.
Is Valley Center High a good school?
Valley Center High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Valley Center Pub Sch?
Besides Valley Center High, Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center Middle School (802 students), Valley Center Intermediate School (443 students), and Wheatland Elem (325 students). See the Valley Center Pub Sch 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.