Enrollment
62
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 200002000496
Western Plains North Elem — Ransom, KS
Federal NCES profile for Western Plains North Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 66/100.
👥 Class size 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 88
📋 Attendance 92
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
The verdict
Western Plains North Elem earns a B- Resource Investment Index (66/100), with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kansas schools.
- B-
- Resource Index · 66/100
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Kansas
- 58.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 62
- students enrolled
School address
District: Western Plains · Kansas
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Kansas avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.9%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Western Plains North Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Western Plains North Elem reports 62 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 5.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% below the Kansas state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 29% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 58.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 38% above the Kansas average and 14% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 62 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 3.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Western Plains spends $22,130 per pupil district-wide, above the Kansas average of $15,487 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 39.4% from local sources (property taxes), 52.7% from the state, and 7.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (B-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Western Plains North Elem compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Kansas state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 22% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.9% | ▲ 38% | 42.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 62 | top 9% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
11 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 84% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
62 larger than 7% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
58.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 38% 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
— 22% below state mean
Top 18% in Kansas — lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
3.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$22,130
per pupil, district-wide
— above Kansas avg of $15,487
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 62 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 62 Top 9% in Kansas — larger than 91% of 1,354 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 5.0
Students per teacher 11.2:1 -22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 58.9% +38% vs state
NCES ID 200002000496
Student demographics
White 88.7%
Two or More 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.2%
Largest group: White at 88.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 62:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 3.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Western Plains, which includes Western Plains North Elem.
$22,130
Per student
+43%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
+33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.4%
State 52.7%
Federal 7.8%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 34
- Students per teacher
- 6.7:1
- Enrollment
- 31
- Students per teacher
- 7.3:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare Western Plains North Elem side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Western Plains North Elem
How many students attend Western Plains North Elem?
Western Plains North Elem has 62 students enrolled. It is a other school in Ransom, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Western Plains North Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Western Plains North Elem is 11.2:1, which is 22% lower than the Kansas average of 14.4:1 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 Western Plains North Elem?
58.9% of students at Western Plains North Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Western Plains North Elem?
The largest demographic group at Western Plains North Elem is White at 88.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Ransom, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Western Plains North Elem?
Western Plains North Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (B-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Western Plains North Elem a good school?
Western Plains North Elem earns a B- Resource Investment Index (66/100), with class sizes smaller than 82% of Kansas schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.