Enrollment
416
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 201226001466
Whitson Elem — Topeka, KS
Federal NCES profile for Whitson Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 51
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 →
School address
District: Topeka Public Schools · 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)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Kansas avg
+1% 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
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
Whitson Elem reports 416 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 31.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% above the Kansas state mean of 14.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 33% above the Kansas average and 10% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 208 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 19.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Topeka Public Schools spends $17,260 per pupil district-wide, below the Kansas average of $17,342 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 13.8% from local sources (property taxes), 72.4% from the state, and 13.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), 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 Whitson 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.9% | ▲ 33% | 42.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 72% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
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
14.5:1
students per teacher
— 1% above state mean
Top 65% in Kansas — lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$17,260
per pupil, district-wide
— below Kansas avg of $17,342
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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
Enrollment 416 Top 72% in Kansas — larger than 28% of 1,354 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 31.0
Students per teacher 14.5:1 +1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.9% +33% vs state
NCES ID 201226001466
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 208:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 19.5%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Topeka Public Schools, which includes Whitson Elem.
$17,260
Per student
0%
vs Kansas
Avg $17,342
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,578
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 971
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
Similar other schools in Topeka
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jardine Elementary
Standard public school
729 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Farley Elementary
Standard public school
596 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Ross Elementary
Standard public school
563 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Logan Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Wanamaker Elem
Standard public school
475 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School
Standard public school
447 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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.
Frequently asked questions about Whitson Elem
How many students attend Whitson Elem?
Whitson Elem has 416 students enrolled. It is a other school in Topeka, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitson Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitson Elem is 14.5:1, which is 1% higher than the Kansas average of 14.4:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Topeka, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitson Elem?
Whitson Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) 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.