Payne Elem

Payne Elem, a compact elementary-level community in Wichita, Kansas, one of the schools within Wichita, serves 231 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 313 students per school, that is 26% smaller than typical.

Within Wichita, which oversees 87 schools and 47,545 students, Payne Elem is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Payne Elem lists that 35% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest comes out to 33% White, 17% Black, 11% multiracial, 2% Asian. By comparison, Sedgwick County as a whole is about 17% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Payne Elem reports 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Payne Elem tighter than the state norm the norm. About 91% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is higher than Sedgwick County's rate of about 63%.

In the area at large, census data for Sedgwick County shows median household earnings sit near $69,365, 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Sedgwick County's 160 public schools (combined enrollment of about 84,569 students), Payne Elem is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Stanley Elem, roughly 1.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Payne Elem.

The school occupies a downtown site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 6 years, enrollment at Payne Elem has shrank 22%, going from 296 students in 2018 to 231 in 2024. White enrollment moved from 41% to 33% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 15.3:1 in 2018 to 11.3:1 today.

On this page, posts here usually surface around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.