Enrollment
517
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Gardner, KS
Wheatridge Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Wheatridge Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 200642001878
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wheatridge Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Gardner · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Wheatridge Middle School has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wheatridge Middle School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Gardner, KS.
School address
District: Gardner Edgerton · Kansas
NCES ID 200642001878 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wheatridge Middle School compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wheatridge Middle School
Wheatridge Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Gardner, Kansas, enrolling 517 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Kansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 517 puts it in the larger third of Kansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,346 scored Kansas schools.
Against 218 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 259 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gardner's elementary schools, it stands alongside Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students): Wheatridge Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 13.3:1).
Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students) and Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students) alongside Wheatridge 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 Wheatridge Middle School compares
Wheatridge 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 11% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 19% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 517 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
517
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in Kansas - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.7%
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
$13,254
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 259 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
53
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 72.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
Two or More 8.1%
African American 5.8%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.5, Wheatridge Middle School is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gardner Edgerton, which includes Wheatridge Middle School.
$13,254
Per student
-14%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 68.3%
Federal 8.1%
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 Wheatridge Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Edgerton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trail Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pioneer Ridge Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grand Star Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wheatridge Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Gardner
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 (~517 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wheatridge Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Wheatridge Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Gardner Edgerton'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 Wheatridge Middle School
How many students attend Wheatridge Middle School?
Wheatridge Middle School has 517 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Gardner, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wheatridge Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wheatridge Middle School is 12.3:1, which is 11% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 22% 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 Wheatridge Middle School?
34.6% of students at Wheatridge Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wheatridge Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Wheatridge Middle School is White at 72.9% of enrollment, in Gardner, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wheatridge Middle School?
Wheatridge Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Wheatridge Middle School rank among elementary schools in Gardner?
By Resource Investment Index, Wheatridge Middle School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Gardner, 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 Gardner on the city page.
Is Wheatridge Middle School a good school?
Wheatridge Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. 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 Gardner Edgerton?
Besides Wheatridge Middle School, Gardner Edgerton also operates Gardner Edgerton High (1,794 students), Trail Ridge Middle School (679 students), and Pioneer Ridge Middle School (548 students). See the Gardner Edgerton 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.