McPherson High

Located at 801 E First Street, in McPherson, Kansas, McPherson High is a sprawling secondary school that caters to 658 students (grades 9 through 12), overseen by McPherson. Compared to the state average of about 410 students per school, that is 60% above typical.

Across the 6 schools in McPherson (2,117 students total), McPherson High accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, McPherson High lists that 75% of the student body identifies as White; the rest comes out to 16% Hispanic, 7% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 92% White, putting the school's mix noticeably less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, The school reports having 55 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.0:1. The state averages about 11.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 40% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, On a poverty-adjusted basis, McPherson High sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 42.9%; actual is 24.9%, a gap of -18.1 points.

Around the school, community-level numbers for McPherson County indicate median household earnings sit near $78,851, 34% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. McPherson High is one of 18 public schools in McPherson County (combined enrollment of about 4,829 students).

The closest other public school is Lincoln Elem, roughly 0.5 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 5 other public schools cluster around McPherson High. On composite proficiency, McPherson High comes 8th of 9 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 37.6%.

McPherson High operates from a town-based location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at McPherson High has shrank 13%, going from 759 students in 2018 to 658 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 81% to 75%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.4:1 in 2018 to 12.0:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the McPherson High community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.