Enrollment
256
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mcpherson, KS
Washington Elem
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200939000996
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington Elem earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Mcpherson · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 38.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elem ranks #2 of 4 schools in Mcpherson, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.2%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington Elem
Washington Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Mcpherson, Kansas, enrolling 256 students.
At 12.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.2% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 256 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 296 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #91.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Mcpherson also operates Mcpherson High (658 students) and Mcpherson Middle School (474 students) alongside Washington 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 Washington Elem compares
Washington 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.2% | ▼ 11% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 256 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
256
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 42% in Kansas - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$17,683
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 73.4%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 1.2%
Largest group: White at 73.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.0, Washington Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mcpherson, which includes Washington Elem.
$17,683
Per student
+14%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.1%
State 45.2%
Federal 11.7%
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 Washington Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcpherson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mcpherson Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elem | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 658
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~256 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elem's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Mcpherson'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 Washington Elem
How many students attend Washington Elem?
Washington Elem has 256 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mcpherson, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elem is 12.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 18% 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 Washington Elem?
38.2% of students at Washington Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elem?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elem is White at 73.4% of enrollment, in Mcpherson, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elem?
Washington Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Washington Elem rank among schools in Mcpherson?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elem ranks #2 of 4 schools in Mcpherson, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mcpherson on the city page.
Is Washington Elem a good school?
Washington Elem earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. 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 Mcpherson?
Besides Washington Elem, Mcpherson also operates Mcpherson High (658 students), Mcpherson Middle School (474 students), and Roosevelt Elem (269 students). See the Mcpherson 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.