Enrollment
264
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Valley Center, KS
West Elem
Federal NCES profile for West Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 201251000368
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elem earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Kansas schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Valley Center · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 41.5%
- free-lunch eligible
West Elem has class sizes smaller than 70% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elem ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Valley Center, KS.
School address
District: Valley Center Pub Sch · Kansas
NCES ID 201251000368 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.5%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elem
West Elem is a mid-sized elementary school in Valley Center, Kansas, enrolling 264 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.5% lands close to the Kansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 264 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 302 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #174.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 264 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Valley Center's elementary schools, it stands alongside Valley Center Intermediate School (443 students): West Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 14.8:1).
Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center High (1,011 students) and Valley Center Middle School (802 students) alongside West 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 West Elem compares
West 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 13% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.5% | ▼ 3% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 264 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
264
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 30% in Kansas - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 264 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 68.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 3.0%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 68.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, West Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Valley Center Pub Sch, which includes West Elem.
$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 West Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Center Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheatland Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Abilene Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elem'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
- 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
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Valley Center
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~264 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elem's federal record.
- Compare West Elem 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 West Elem
How many students attend West Elem?
West Elem has 264 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Valley Center, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elem is 12:1, which is 13% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 24% 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 West Elem?
41.5% of students at West Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elem?
The largest demographic group at West Elem is White at 68.2% of enrollment, in Valley Center, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elem?
West Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 West Elem rank among elementary schools in Valley Center?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elem ranks #2 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Valley Center on the city page.
Is West Elem a good school?
West Elem earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 West Elem, Valley Center Pub Sch also operates Valley Center High (1,011 students), Valley Center Middle School (802 students), and Valley Center Intermediate School (443 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.