Southwest Elem

Southwest Elem is an elementary-level community of mid-sized scale in Pratt, Kansas, overseen by Pratt, educateing 462 students in grades pre-K through 3. By comparison, Kansas's public schools average about 313 students each, so Southwest Elem sits 48% bigger than that benchmark.

Within Pratt, which oversees 5 schools and 1,275 students, Southwest Elem is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Southwest Elem records that nearly all students (82%) are White; the rest is composed of 13% Hispanic, 5% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Pratt County as a whole.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Southwest Elem has 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Southwest Elem higher than the state norm the norm. About 44% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Southwest Elem sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 41.3%; this one delivers 44.8%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Pratt County indicate median household earnings sit near $66,022, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Southwest Elem is one of 7 public schools in Pratt County (combined enrollment of about 1,584 students).

Nearest neighbor: Pratt Academic Center, around 0.4 miles off. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Southwest Elem at 3rd of 7; the average score across the group is 42.8%.

The campus sits in a town-center setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count expanded 8%: 428 students in 2018 compared to 462 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 16.5:1 in 2018 to 15.0:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.