Enrollment
253
Elementary
DISTRICT 218 · STATE 313
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SMITH CENTER·NCES 200000700155
Smith Center Elem
216 South Jefferson, Smith Center, KS 66967 · (785) 282-6614 · Smith County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY43-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL253 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.1:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 10.9:1 · STATE 13.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
52%
132 students
DISTRICT 51% · STATE 51%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Smith Center Elem→Smith Center Jr Sr High
Based on grade levels within Smith Center. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
KAP 2024-25 . % Meeting + ExceedingEnglish Language Arts
66.1%
KS avg 44.5% . +10.7pp since 2023
Math
51.9%
KS avg 38.8% . +20.5pp since 2023
What this means: On the KAP, Kansas's statewide test, about 66 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 52 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Kansas schools, those numbers are about 45 and 39. Reading and writing scores are up about 11 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 21 points.
Source: KAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
51.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
37.2%
based on KS schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+14.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 51% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 37% typical for Kansas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Kansas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
253
+33 (+15%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
12.1:1
was 12.9:1
% White
90%
was 90%
% Hispanic
2%
was 2%
% Black
2%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About Smith Center Elem
Smith Center Elem is one of the modestly sized elementary-level communitys in Smith Center, Kansas, overseen by Smith Center, with 253 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6.
Smith Center Elem is one of 2 schools operated by Smith Center, a district that works with 436 students overall.
In terms of who attends, Smith Center Elem shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (90%). Other groups include 6% multiracial.
Looking at school resources, On paper, Smith Center Elem has 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.1:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.2:1 average. An estimated 52% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.
After controlling for student poverty, Smith Center Elem performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 37.2%, the actual is 51.4%, a residual of +14.2 points.
Across the wider county, census data for Smith County shows median household earnings sit near $59,135, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Smith County's 4 public schools (combined enrollment of about 534 students), Smith Center Elem is one campus in the mix.
The closest other public school is Smith Center Jr Sr High, roughly 0.5 miles away. On composite proficiency, Smith Center Elem comes 2nd of 7 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 44.1%.
Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.
Five-year trend. Smith Center Elem's enrollment has edged up 15% since 2018, when it stood at 220 (now 253).
Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Smith Center Elem 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.
Smith County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,552
Census ACS
Median income
$59,135
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
4
534 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Nearby schools
- Smith Center Jr Sr High0.5 mi · 183
- THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY13.2 mi · 38
- THUNDER RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL13.3 mi · 60
- THUNDER RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL17.8 mi · 72
- Lakeside Junior/Senior High School22.3 mi · 127
- Osborne Elem23.6 mi · 194
Frequently asked questions
About Smith Center ElemHow many students attend Smith Center Elem?
Smith Center Elem enrolls approximately 253 students in grades PK-06.
Is Smith Center Elem an elementary, middle, or high school?
Smith Center Elem is an elementary school covering grades PK-06.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith Center Elem?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Smith Center Elem is approximately 12.1:1 (21 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Smith Center Elem?
Smith Center Elem reports a student body of 90% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Black, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees Smith Center Elem?
Smith Center Elem is overseen by Smith Center in Smith County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.