Enrollment
36
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wichita, KS
Wells Alternative Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Wells Alternative Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 201299000321
👥 S:T ratio 84
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 93
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wells Alternative Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Kansas.
- #1 of 17
- middle schools in Wichita · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 89.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Wells Alternative Middle School has class sizes smaller than 99% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wells Alternative Middle School ranks #1 of 17 middle schools in Wichita, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-71% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.7%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+110% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wells Alternative Middle School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wells Alternative Middle School
Wells Alternative Middle School is a high-poverty, small middle school in Wichita, Kansas, enrolling 36 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4:1, Wells Alternative Middle School is leaner than roughly 99% of Kansas schools and 71% under the state's 13.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 89.7% of students qualify for free meals, 110% above the Kansas average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Kansas schools, with 36 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Its student body is led by White (36%) and African American (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 36 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 91.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 41 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 36 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Wichita's middle schools, it stands alongside Truesdell Middle School (924 students): Wells Alternative Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (4:1 vs 12.5:1).
Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students) and Southeast High (2,066 students) alongside Wells Alternative 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 Wells Alternative Middle School compares
Wells Alternative 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 | 4:1 | ▼ 71% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.7% | ▲ 110% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 36 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
36
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 110% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
4:1
students per teacher
- 71% below state mean
Top 1% in Kansas - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
91.7%
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
$15,361
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 36 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 113.9 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 36.1%
African American 27.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.7%
Two or More 16.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
Largest group: White at 36.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.6, Wells Alternative Middle School is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Wells Alternative Middle School.
$15,361
Per student
-1%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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 Wells Alternative Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heights High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wells Alternative Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,662
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Wichita
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Truesdell Middle School
Standard public school
924 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Curtis Middle School
Standard public school
846 students 13:1 students per teacher
Wilbur Middle School
Standard public school
822 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Valley Middle School
Standard public school
760 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Robinson Middle School
Standard public school
682 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Mead Middle School
Standard public school
678 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~36 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wells Alternative Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Wells Alternative Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Wichita'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 Wells Alternative Middle School
How many students attend Wells Alternative Middle School?
Wells Alternative Middle School has 36 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wells Alternative Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wells Alternative Middle School is 4:1, which is 71% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 75% 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 Wells Alternative Middle School?
89.7% of students at Wells Alternative Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wells Alternative Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Wells Alternative Middle School is White at 36.1% of enrollment, in Wichita, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wells Alternative Middle School?
Wells Alternative Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Wells Alternative Middle School rank among middle schools in Wichita?
By Resource Investment Index, Wells Alternative Middle School ranks #1 of 17 middle schools in Wichita, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Wichita on the city page.
Is Wells Alternative Middle School a good school?
Wells Alternative Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Wichita?
Besides Wells Alternative Middle School, Wichita also operates East High (2,435 students), Southeast High (2,066 students), and North High (2,041 students). See the Wichita 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.