Enrollment
802
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Valley Center, KS
Valley Center Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Valley Center Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 201251000369
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Center Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.7:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 35.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Center Middle School has class sizes larger than 86% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Middle School ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Valley Center, KS.
School address
District: Valley Center Pub Sch · Kansas
NCES ID 201251000369 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.7%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Center Middle School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Center Middle School
Valley Center Middle School is a large middle school in Valley Center, Kansas, enrolling 802 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.7:1 is larger than about 86% of Kansas schools and 21% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.7% 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 94% of state schools at 802 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Among 84 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #67, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 401 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center High (1,011 students) and Valley Center Intermediate School (443 students) alongside Valley Center Middle 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 Valley Center Middle School compares
Valley Center Middle 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 21% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.7% | ▼ 16% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 802 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
802
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Kansas - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.8%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 401 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 76 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.6 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 16.3%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 73.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.5, Valley Center Middle School is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center Pub Sch, which includes Valley Center Middle School.
$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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wheatland Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Abilene Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Center Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,011
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- 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 middle 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 (~802 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Center Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Valley Center Middle School 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 Middle School
How many students attend Valley Center Middle School?
Valley Center Middle School has 802 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Valley Center, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Center Middle School is 16.7:1, which is 21% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Center Middle School?
35.7% of students at Valley Center Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Center Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Valley Center Middle School is White at 73.7% of enrollment, in Valley Center, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Center Middle School?
Valley Center Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Valley Center Middle School rank among public schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Center Middle School ranks #7 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 Middle School a good school?
Valley Center Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Valley Center Pub Sch?
Besides Valley Center Middle School, Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center High (1,011 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.