Almena Elem

Almena Elem is one of the one-room-style primary schools in Almena, Kansas, one of the schools within Northern Valley, with 78 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 4. Compared to the state average of about 313 students per school, that is 75% below typical.

Across the 3 schools in Northern Valley (150 students total), Almena Elem accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Almena Elem records that 90% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Beyond that, the school lists 5% Black, 4% Hispanic. Compared to Norton County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Almena Elem lists 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.4:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.2:1 average. Around 60% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Almena Elem sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 33.3%; this one delivers 35.9%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Norton County put the typical household earns roughly $54,050 per year, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Norton County runs 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 820 students), of which Almena Elem is one.

The closest other public school is Northern Valley High, roughly 0.0 miles away. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Almena Elem at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 38.9%.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 8%: 72 students in 2018 compared to 78 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.