Enrollment
133
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 201299000345
Wichita Alternative High — Wichita, KS
Federal NCES profile for Wichita Alternative High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 32/100.
👥 Class size 32
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
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
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)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.4:1 Kansas avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.1%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wichita Alternative High 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
Wichita Alternative High reports 133 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% 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 7% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 59% above the Kansas average and 31% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 266 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Wichita spends $17,357 per pupil district-wide, above the Kansas average of $17,342 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 17.2% from local sources (property taxes), 70.9% from the state, and 11.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F), calculated from 5 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 Wichita Alternative High 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.1% | ▲ 59% | 42.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 133 | top 22% | — | — |
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
68.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 59% 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
17:1
students per teacher
— 18% above state mean
Top 88% in Kansas — lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
100.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,357
per pupil, district-wide
— above Kansas avg of $17,342
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 266 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 133 Top 22% in Kansas — larger than 78% of 1,354 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 17:1 +18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.1% +59% vs state
NCES ID 201299000345
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 35.3%
White 30.8%
African American 25.6%
Two or More 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 35.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 266:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 100.0%
In-school suspensions 17
Out-of-school suspensions 22
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wichita, which includes Wichita Alternative High.
$17,357
Per student
+0%
vs Kansas
Avg $17,342
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 70.9%
Federal 11.9%
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
- 2,435
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 2,041
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,662
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,505
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
Similar high schools in Wichita
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
East High
Standard public school
2,435 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Southeast High
Standard public school
2,066 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
North High
Standard public school
2,041 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Campus High Haysville
Standard public school
1,803 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
South High
Standard public school
1,662 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Heights High
Standard public school
1,505 students 15.8:1 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 Wichita Alternative High
How many students attend Wichita Alternative High?
Wichita Alternative High has 133 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wichita, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wichita Alternative High?
The student-teacher ratio at Wichita Alternative High is 17:1, which is 18% higher than the Kansas average of 14.4:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wichita Alternative High?
68.1% of students at Wichita Alternative High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wichita Alternative High?
The largest demographic group at Wichita Alternative High is Hispanic or Latino at 35.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Wichita, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wichita Alternative High?
Wichita Alternative High has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (F) based on 5 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.