Meadowlark Ridge Elem

Meadowlark Ridge Elem, a middle-of-the-pack elementary campus in Salina, Kansas, overseen by Salina, serves 431 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 38% larger than the state mean of about 313.

Salina runs 13 schools in total, collectively educating 6,441 students. Meadowlark Ridge Elem is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Meadowlark Ridge Elem reports that the largest single group is White, at 70% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school shows 15% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, 3% Black. By comparison, Saline County as a whole is about 82% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Meadowlark Ridge Elem higher than the state norm the norm. About 37% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Saline County runs at roughly 58%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Meadowlark Ridge Elem sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.6%; this one delivers 55.7%.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Saline County put median household earnings sit near $65,422, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Meadowlark Ridge Elem is one of 17 public schools in Saline County (combined enrollment of about 7,580 students).

Nearest neighbor: Lakewood Middle School, around 1.3 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Meadowlark Ridge Elem at 1st of 8; the average score across the group is 32.4%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Meadowlark Ridge Elem has fell 3%, going from 444 students in 2018 to 431 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 74% to 70% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Meadowlark Ridge Elem typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.