Public schools in Kansas

The NCES directory lists 1,341 public schools operating in Kansas in 2024-25; 1,328 of them reported 474,048 students, averaging 12.9 students per teacher, the 37th highest of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Wichita Public Schools, with 45,435 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools1,328707 elementary, 220 middle, 366 high, 35 other
Students474,0481.0% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher12.9U.S. 15.3

Kansas has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

Kansas ranks 37th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. West Virginia13.3
  2. Rhode Island13.2
  3. Nebraska13.1
  4. Kansas12.9
  5. New Mexico12.7
  6. Missouri12.3
  7. Connecticut12.2

Eight in ten larger Kansas districts spent between $11,356 and $16,089 per student

Among the 83 Kansas districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $11,356 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $16,089; the median was $13,446. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Kansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2383 values from $5,276 to $22,404; ; state median $13,446.$11,356$16,089the middle eight in ten$0k$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,446
Current spending per student, Kansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2383 values from $5,276 to $22,404; ; state median $13,446.$11,356$16,089the middle eight in ten$0k$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,446
Current spending per student, Kansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2383 values from $5,276 to $22,404; ; state median $13,446.$11,356$16,089the middle eight in ten$0k$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,446
Current spending per student, Kansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2383 values from $5,276 to $22,404; ; state median $13,446.$11,356$16,089the middle eight in ten$0k$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $13,446

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 33.9% of the Kansas students tested met the state's reading standard and 31.3% its math standard. Kansas writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Kansas's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 88% of 36,783 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Kansas almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Andover eCademy, 3,617 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Hope Street Charter Academy, 6.3 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: West Elk, $22,479 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Rock Creek Schools, $111,971 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Central Plains Adult Diploma Program, 0.5% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Kiowa County High School, 74 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Central Plains, 64.8 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Kansas

  1. Wichita Public Schools45,435
  2. Olathe Public Schools28,030
  3. Shawnee Mission Pub Sch26,330
  4. Blue Valley Unified School District 22922,062
  5. Kansas City21,538
  6. Topeka Public Schools11,795
  7. Lawrence Public Schools10,380
  8. Andover Public Schools9,460

Every Kansas school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Wichita51,336 students92 schools
  2. Kansas City28,654 students58 schools
  3. Olathe27,999 students53 schools
  4. Shawnee Mission26,038 students44 schools
  5. Topeka21,280 students42 schools
  6. Overland Park18,421 students30 schools
  7. Lawrence10,380 students18 schools
  8. Garden City7,032 students18 schools
  9. Salina6,678 students14 schools
  10. Hutchinson5,509 students14 schools
  11. Manhattan7,049 students13 schools
  12. Goddard6,344 students12 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Kansas's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Kansas?
    The NCES directory lists 1,341 operating in 2024-25; 1,328 of them reported students: 707 elementary, 220 middle, 366 high and 35 other, enrolling 474,048 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Kansas?
    12.9 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Kansas?
    Wichita Public Schools, with 45,435 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Kansas spend per public-school student?
    $14,316 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .