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
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 75% of Kansas public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Kansas public elementary schools
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, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 27 | 11% |
| Kindergarten | 38 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 28 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 29 | 11% |
| Grade 3 | 40 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 31 | 12% |
| Grade 5 | 21 | 8% |
| Grade 6 | 39 | 15% |
This year's kindergarten class (38) is about the same size as its 6th grade class (39).
Student demographics
19%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 19% · STATE 58% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). 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%
Math
51.9%
KS avg 38.8%
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.
KAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 66.1% | 51.9% |
| 2023-24 | 55.4% | 31.4% |
% Meeting + Exceeding, all students and all tested grades. Kansas set new KAP cut scores in spring 2025, so results from 2023-24 and earlier are not comparable with later years.
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 →
Schools most like Smith Center Elem
Smith Center Elem's state test result (51.4% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Center Elem this school | 253 | 52.2% | 51.4% |
| Medicine Lodge Grade School Medicine Lodge | 253 | 53.0% | 41.1% |
| Central Heights Elem Richmond | 239 | 52.7% | 54.1% |
| Circle Towanda Elementary Towanda | 278 | 51.4% | 32.4% |
| Bickerdyke Elem Russell | 261 | 54.0% | 35.8% |
| Lincoln Elementary Fredonia | 242 | 50.8% | 40.6% |
Matched among Kansas elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Smith Center Elem ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 51.4% | #205 of 625 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 51.9% | #188 of 625 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 66.1% | #105 of 625 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 253 | #459 of 714 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.1:1 | #119 of 539 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 19.1% | #503 of 540 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 52.2% | #349 of 658 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +15.0% | #42 of 151 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
253
+9 (+4%) vs 2020
-2% since 1990-91, when it was 257
Student : Teacher
12.1:1
was 13.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 253 | 20.9 | 12.1:1 | 52% (132) |
| 2023-24 | 255 | 18 | 14.2:1 | 49% (124) |
| 2022-23 | 259 | 19.4 | 13.3:1 | 50% (129) |
| 2020-21 | 244 | 18 | 13.6:1 | 43% (104) |
| 2017-18 | 220 | 17 | 12.9:1 | 50% (109) |
| 2015-16 | 214 | 19 | 11.3:1 | 56% (119) |
| 2010-11 | 198 | 21 | 9.4:1 | 55% (109) |
| 2000-01 | 272 | 19 | 14.3:1 | 40% (110) |
| 1990-91 | 257 | 15 | 17.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Smith Center Elem.
Since 2017-18: students up 15% (220 to 253); teachers up 23% (17 to 20.9).
About Smith Center Elem
Smith Center Elem is a small elementary school found in Smith Center, Kansas. Total enrollment is 253 students, and the grades served are pre-K through 6.
Smith Center Elem belongs to Smith Center, a district of 2 schools and 436 students.
At Smith Center Elem, 90% of students are White. The remaining students are 6% multiracial. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, Smith Center Elem scores 19%.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.1:1. The school has 20.9 full-time-equivalent teachers. The school's 12.1:1 compares with an average of 13.2:1 for elementary schools in Kansas. Federal data show 52% of students (132) are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That is in line with the 52% average for public schools in Smith County.
Among Kansas public elementary schools, Smith Center Elem outscored 75%, which works out to an A- on the allk12 Grade.
The school's average proficiency rate across its state test results is 51.4%. For its free or reduced-price lunch share, the predicted value is 37.2%.
The school's county is Smith County. According to Census Bureau estimates, the median household earns about $59,135 a year, roughly 26% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in Smith County number 4, with about 534 students.
About 0.5 miles separate Smith Center Elem from the closest public school, Smith Center Jr Sr High. Smith Center Elem ranks 2nd of 7 among nearby schools on average proficiency, with 51.4% against a local average of 44.1%.
Under the NCES locale system, Smith Center Elem is Rural: Remote.
Enrollment increased 4% over 4 years, reaching 253 in 2024-25. Staffing shifted too: the ratio moved from 13.6:1 to 12.1:1.
Use the discussion section to ask about open houses, carpools, and field trips at Smith Center Elem. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
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.