Northern Hills Elementary

Set in Topeka, Kansas, Northern Hills Elementary is a medium-sized primary school, run under Seaman. It hosts 408 students across grades K through 6. By comparison, Kansas's public schools average about 313 students each, so Northern Hills Elementary sits 30% bigger than that benchmark.

Seaman comprises 7 schools with combined enrollment of 3,692 students; Northern Hills Elementary is among them.

Looking at the student body, Northern Hills Elementary reports that White students make up the majority at 74%; the rest comes out to 10% Hispanic, 6% Black, 6% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Shawnee County as a whole.

On the resource side, Northern Hills Elementary records 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.2:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 45% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Shawnee County (around 54%), the school's rate is south of typical.

With demographic context factored in, Northern Hills Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 40.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 40.8%.

Zooming out to the county, Shawnee County reports that the typical household earns roughly $67,104 per year, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Shawnee County runs 54 public schools (combined enrollment of about 26,294 students), of which Northern Hills Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Seaman Middle School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Northern Hills Elementary ranks 4th on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 40.8%.

Northern Hills Elementary operates from a commuter-belt location.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Northern Hills Elementary has decreased 11%, going from 461 students in 2018 to 408 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share contracted from 79% to 74%. Class-load math has pulled in: from 15.7:1 in 2018 to 13.2:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.