Enrollment
371
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Howard, KS
West Elk Schools
Federal NCES profile for West Elk Schools, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200750002013
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elk Schools earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Kansas schools.
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 47.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 371
- students enrolled
West Elk Schools has class sizes smaller than 78% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.4%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elk Schools compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elk Schools
West Elk Schools is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Howard, Kansas, enrolling 371 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 371 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 278 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #122.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Howard's public schools, it stands alongside West Elk Virtual Academy (226 students): West Elk Schools is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.2:1 vs 32.3:1).
Its district, West Elk, also runs West Elk Virtual Academy (226 students).
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 Elk Schools compares
West Elk Schools on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 19% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.4% | ▲ 11% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 371 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
371
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the Kansas average of 42.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 22% in Kansas - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.5%
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.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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 79.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.5%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 79.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.0, West Elk Schools is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
How West Elk Schools Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elk Virtual Academy | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elk Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 226
- Students per teacher
- 32.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Howard
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~371 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elk Schools's federal record.
- Compare West Elk Schools against another school. Compare schools
- West Elk'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 Elk Schools
How many students attend West Elk Schools?
West Elk Schools has 371 students enrolled. It is a public school in Howard, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elk Schools?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elk Schools is 11.2:1, which is 19% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 29% 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 Elk Schools?
47.4% of students at West Elk Schools are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elk Schools?
The largest demographic group at West Elk Schools is White at 79.5% of enrollment, in Howard, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elk Schools?
West Elk Schools 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).
Is West Elk Schools a good school?
West Elk Schools earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 West Elk?
Besides West Elk Schools, West Elk also operates West Elk Virtual Academy (226 students). See the West Elk 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.