Enrollment
730
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kansas City, MO
Walden Middle
Federal NCES profile for Walden Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292355003359
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walden Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri schools.
- #5 of 23
- middle schools in Kansas City · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 26.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Walden Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walden Middle ranks #5 of 23 middle schools in Kansas City, MO.
School address
NCES ID 292355003359 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walden Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walden Middle
Walden Middle is a large middle school in Kansas City, Missouri, enrolling 730 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 90% of state schools at 730 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 309 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #107.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 199 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 730 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Kansas City's middle schools, it stands alongside Gateway 6th Grade Center (882 students): Walden Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 14.7:1).
Park Hill also operates Park Hill High (1,947 students) and Park Hill South High (1,890 students) alongside Walden Middle.
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 Walden Middle compares
Walden Middle on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▲ 8% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 44% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 730 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
730
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 67% in Missouri - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,846
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 365 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.3 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 60.5%
African American 14.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.9%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
Largest group: White at 60.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.0, Walden Middle is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Park Hill, which includes Walden Middle.
$13,846
Per student
+7%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.7%
State 21.7%
Federal 9.6%
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 Walden Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Hill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Hill South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Plaza Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Union Chapel Elem. | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walden Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,947
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,890
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 673
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Kansas City
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~730 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walden Middle's federal record.
- Compare Walden Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Park Hill'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 Walden Middle
How many students attend Walden Middle?
Walden Middle has 730 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kansas City, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walden Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Walden Middle is 13.8:1, which is 8% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walden Middle?
26.0% of students at Walden Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walden Middle?
The largest demographic group at Walden Middle is White at 60.5% of enrollment, in Kansas City, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walden Middle?
Walden Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Walden Middle rank among middle schools in Kansas City?
By Resource Investment Index, Walden Middle ranks #5 of 23 middle schools in Kansas City, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Kansas City on the city page.
Is Walden Middle a good school?
Walden Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Missouri 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 Park Hill?
Besides Walden Middle, Park Hill also operates Park Hill High (1,947 students), Park Hill South High (1,890 students), and Plaza Middle (673 students). See the Park Hill 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.