Highland Park Central

Highland Park Central, a medium-sized elementary campus in Topeka, Kansas, part of Topeka Public Schools, caters to 318 students, covering grades K through 5.

Across the 25 schools in Topeka Public Schools (11,695 students total), Highland Park Central accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Highland Park Central lists that 47% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 21% Black, 16% White, 15% multiracial. By comparison, Shawnee County as a whole is about 14% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, The school lists 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.5:1. The state averages about 13.2:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 94% of students at Highland Park Central qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Shawnee County (around 54%), the school's rate is north of typical.

After controlling for student poverty, Highland Park Central sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 17.3%; this one delivers 20.9%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Shawnee County indicate median household income runs about $67,104, roughly 32% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Highland Park Central is one of 54 public schools in Shawnee County (combined enrollment of about 26,294 students).

Highland Park High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.7 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Highland Park Central ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 14.7%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 9%: 348 students in 2018 compared to 318 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 26% to 16% across the same window.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.