Enrollment
226
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Howard, KS
West Elk Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for West Elk Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 200750002133
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elk Virtual Academy earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Kansas schools.
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 32.3:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 226
- students enrolled
West Elk Virtual Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
32.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+134% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elk Virtual Academy compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elk Virtual Academy
West Elk Virtual Academy is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Howard, Kansas, enrolling 226 students.
Class loads run heavy: 32.3:1 is larger than about 99% of Kansas schools and 134% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 226 students, its enrollment sits close to the Kansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 52/100).
Among Howard's public schools, it stands alongside West Elk Schools (371 students): West Elk Virtual Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (32.3:1 vs 11.2:1).
Its district, West Elk, also runs West Elk Schools (371 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 Virtual Academy compares
West Elk Virtual Academy on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 32.3:1 | ▲ 134% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 226 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
32.3:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
226
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
32.3:1
students per teacher
- 134% above state mean
Top 99% in Kansas - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Support staff
Counselors0.1 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
African American 11.5%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Largest group: White at 66.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.3, West Elk Virtual Academy is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
How West Elk Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elk Schools | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elk Virtual Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~226 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elk Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare West Elk Virtual Academy 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 Virtual Academy
How many students attend West Elk Virtual Academy?
West Elk Virtual Academy has 226 students enrolled. It is a public school in Howard, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elk Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elk Virtual Academy is 32.3:1, which is 134% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 106% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elk Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at West Elk Virtual Academy is White at 66.4% of enrollment, in Howard, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elk Virtual Academy?
West Elk Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
Is West Elk Virtual Academy a good school?
West Elk Virtual Academy earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Virtual Academy, West Elk also operates West Elk Schools (371 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.