Total enrollment
3,511
-230 (-6%) vs SY 2017-18
Cherokee County
Kansas · Public K-12
For a Kansas county, Cherokee County operates a compact public-school system: 17 schools and 3,647 students, broken out as 9 elementary, 2 middle, and 6 high.
7-year change in Cherokee County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
16
+1 (+7%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
79%
was 85%
% Hispanic
5%
was 3%
% Black
1%
was 1%
% Asian
0%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
17
5 districts
Enrollment
3,647
NCES CCD
Median income
$57,668
Below Kansas avg
Free/reduced lunch
61.4%
Above Kansas avg
Elementary
9
2,018 students
Middle
2
321 students
High
6
1,308 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Columbus
1,130 students · 5 districts in Cherokee County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Cherokee County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
19.4%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
8.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.3%
civilian labor
Median age
42
22.7% under 18
Test scores in Cherokee County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 11 schools ranked. Kansas state average: 44.5%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Central Elem· 64.1%
- Baxter Springs High· 57.1%
- Liberty Elem· 52.1%
- Southeast Elementary School· 48.8%
- Galena Middle School· 48.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Riverton High· 31.0%
- Riverton Middle· 32.7%
- Columbus Junior High and High School· 33.6%
- Central Elem· 39.4%
- Galena High· 40.7%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Junior High and High School | Columbus | High | 07-12 | 438 | · |
| Baxter Springs High | Baxter Springs | High | 07-12 | 361 | · |
| Central Elem | Columbus | Elementary | 02-06 | 348 | · |
| Riverton Elem | Riverton | Elementary | PK-05 | 313 | · |
| Lincoln Elem | Baxter Springs | Elementary | PK-02 | 245 | · |
| Galena High | Galena | High | 09-12 | 236 | · |
| Spring Grove Primary Center | Galena | Elementary | PK-02 | 229 | · |
| Central Elem | Baxter Springs | Elementary | 03-06 | 223 | · |
| Riverton High | Riverton | High | 09-12 | 218 | · |
| Park Elem | Columbus | Elementary | PK-01 | 208 | · |
| Galena Middle School | Galena | Middle | 06-08 | 174 | · |
| Liberty Elem | Galena | Elementary | 03-05 | 167 | · |
| Southeast Elementary School | Weir | Elementary | PK-04 | 149 | · |
| Riverton Middle | Riverton | Middle | 06-08 | 147 | · |
| Highland Elem | Columbus | Elementary | 02-03 | 136 | · |
| USD 508 eAcademy | Baxter Springs | High | 07-12 | 36 | · |
| Galena Virtual School | Galena | High | 09-12 | 19 | · |
Cities in Cherokee County
About Cherokee County
Cherokee County is a low-population county of about 19,151 residents in Kansas. Its public-school system instructs approximately 3,647 students across 17 schools.
Zooming out, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $57,668, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 13% meaningfully below the Kansas median.
Looking at the level breakdown, Cherokee County is made up of 9 elementary schools (2,018 students), 2 middle schools (321), and 6 high schools (1,308).
Columbus is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 1,130 students across Cherokee County.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment shrank 6%: 3,741 students in SY 2017-18 versus 3,511 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Cherokee County opened 1 school, going from 15 to 16. Demographically, the White share of enrollment shrank from 85% to 79%.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Cherokee County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Cherokee County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data