THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY

THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY is one of the minimally staffed K-5 schools in KENSINGTON, Kansas, operated by Thunder Ridge Schools, with 38 students on its rolls from grades K through 3. Compared to the state average of about 313 students per school, that is 88% smaller than typical.

Thunder Ridge Schools runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 170 students. THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY logs that nearly all students (95%) are White; the rest comes out to 3% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. Compared to Smith County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY has 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 6.7:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.2:1 average. Roughly 61% of students at THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is above Smith County's rate of about 52%.

Around the school, Smith County reports that median household earnings sit near $59,135, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 4%. Across Smith County's 4 public schools (combined enrollment of about 534 students), THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is THUNDER RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.1 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY.

The campus sits in an outlying setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count contracted 7%: 41 students in 2018 compared to 38 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share increased from 78% to 95%.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the THUNDER RIDGE ELEMENTARY community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Members of the school community can share what they know.