Ruppenthal Middle

As a cozy intermediate school in Russell, Kansas, Ruppenthal Middle enrolls 188 students from grades 6 through 8, operated by Russell County. Compared to the state average of about 402 students per school, that is 53% leaner than typical.

Ruppenthal Middle is one of 4 schools operated by Russell County, a district that teaches 950 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Ruppenthal Middle logs that 85% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. The remainder looks like 9% multiracial, 6% Hispanic.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Ruppenthal Middle has 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 9.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.7:1, putting Ruppenthal Middle tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 52% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

Around the school, Russell County reports that the typical household earns roughly $62,392 per year, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Ruppenthal Middle is one of 5 public schools in Russell County (combined enrollment of about 1,075 students).

Bickerdyke Elem is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Ruppenthal Middle.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 6-year window, the student count grew 3%: 182 students in 2018 compared to 188 in 2024. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 9.8:1 in 2018 to 10.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Ruppenthal Middle community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.