Sunflower Elementary School

Sunflower Elementary School is a primary school of heavily attended scale in Liberal, Kansas, run under Liberal, enrolling 570 students in grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 313 students per school, that is 82% above typical.

Liberal comprises 8 schools with combined enrollment of 4,653 students; Sunflower Elementary School is among them.

On the student-mix side, Sunflower Elementary School shows that nearly all students (88%) are Hispanic; the rest breaks down as 8% White. By comparison, Seward County as a whole is about 67% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Sunflower Elementary School logs 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 23.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Sunflower Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 87% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Sunflower Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 20.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 24.6%.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Seward County put median household earnings sit near $63,827, 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Seward County's 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,115 students), Sunflower Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Prairie View Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.1 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Sunflower Elementary School ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 19.8%.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Sunflower Elementary School has ticked down 15%, going from 671 students in 2018 to 570 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio widened from 21.0:1 in 2018 to 23.3:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.