Central Elem

Central Elem is one of the low-enrollment elementary-level communitys in Baxter Springs, Kansas, overseen by Baxter Springs, with 223 students on its rolls from grades 3 through 6. That puts it 29% below the typical public school in Kansas, which averages around 313 students.

Within Baxter Springs, which oversees 4 schools and 865 students, Central Elem is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Central Elem lists that White students make up the majority at 70%. Other groups include 14% Native American, 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 2% Pacific Islander. The wider county runs roughly 87% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.0:1. The state averages around 13.2:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 68% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

With demographic context factored in, Central Elem ranks in the top 10% of Kansas public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 29.6%; Central Elem posts 60.2%, +30.7 points above that line.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Cherokee County put median household earnings sit near $57,668, about 19% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Central Elem is one of 17 public schools in Cherokee County (combined enrollment of about 3,647 students).

The closest other public school is Lincoln Elem, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Central Elem comes 1st of 6 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 32.6%.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Five-year trend. Central Elem's enrollment has ticked down 23% since 2018, when it stood at 290 (now 223). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 88% to 70%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.1:1 in 2018 to 12.0:1 in 2025.

On allk12, members of the Central Elem community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.