Enrollment
416
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Topeka, KS
Whitson Elem
Federal NCES profile for Whitson Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 201226001466
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whitson Elem earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kansas schools.
- #3 of 21
- schools in Topeka · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 56.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Whitson Elem has class sizes near the Kansas median. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whitson Elem ranks #3 of 21 schools in Topeka, KS.
School address
District: Topeka Public Schools · Kansas
NCES ID 201226001466 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.9%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whitson Elem compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whitson Elem
Whitson Elem is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Topeka, Kansas, enrolling 416 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kansas median, within a few percentage points of the 13.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 416 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.
Among 201 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 208 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Topeka's public schools, it stands alongside Jardine Elementary (729 students): Whitson Elem is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 13.5:1).
Topeka Public Schools also operates Topeka High (1,578 students) and Topeka West High (971 students) alongside Whitson 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 Whitson Elem compares
Whitson 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.9% | ▲ 33% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
416
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 52% in Kansas - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,138
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kansas avg of $15,487
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 208 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 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 49.8%
Hispanic or Latino 30.3%
Two or More 11.5%
African American 7.5%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Whitson Elem is more mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Topeka Public Schools, which includes Whitson Elem.
$16,138
Per student
+4%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.8%
State 72.4%
Federal 13.8%
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.
How Whitson Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Topeka West High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Park High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jardine Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ross Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whitson Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,578
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Topeka
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jardine Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Farley Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Ross Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Logan Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Wanamaker Elem
Standard public school
475 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School
Standard public school
447 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~416 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whitson Elem's federal record.
- Compare Whitson Elem against another school. Compare schools
- Topeka Public Schools'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 Whitson Elem
How many students attend Whitson Elem?
Whitson Elem has 416 students enrolled. It is a public school in Topeka, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitson Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitson Elem is 13.4:1, which is 3% lower than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 15% 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 Whitson Elem?
56.9% of students at Whitson Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whitson Elem?
The largest demographic group at Whitson Elem is White at 49.8% of enrollment, in Topeka, KS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitson Elem?
Whitson Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Whitson Elem rank among schools in Topeka?
By Resource Investment Index, Whitson Elem ranks #3 of 21 schools in Topeka, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Topeka on the city page.
Is Whitson Elem a good school?
Whitson Elem earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kansas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Topeka Public Schools?
Besides Whitson Elem, Topeka Public Schools also operates Topeka High (1,578 students), Topeka West High (971 students), and Highland Park High (835 students). See the Topeka Public Schools 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.