Heller Elem

Located at 415 N 8th Street, in Neodesha, Kansas, Heller Elem is a compact elementary school that hosts 223 students (grades pre-K through 3), operated by Neodesha. Compared to the state average of about 313 students per school, that is 29% below typical.

Neodesha comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 747 students; Heller Elem is among them.

In terms of who attends, Heller Elem shows that 83% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Other groups include 7% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Black. By comparison, Wilson County as a whole is about 93% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Heller Elem records 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.6:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 58% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Heller Elem sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 34.3%; this one delivers 38.3%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Wilson County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $60,677 per year, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. Heller Elem is one of 9 public schools in Wilson County (combined enrollment of about 1,546 students).

The closest other public school is Neodesha High, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Heller Elem. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Heller Elem at 4th of 7; the average score across the group is 34.8%.

The school occupies a rural site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 10%: 247 students in 2018 compared to 223 in 2025. The White share of enrollment edged down from 90% to 83% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 15.0:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for Heller Elem typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.