Topeka West High

Set in Topeka, Kansas, Topeka West High is a heavily attended four-year high school, overseen by Topeka Public Schools. It works with 971 students across grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 410 students per school, that is 137% bigger than typical.

Topeka West High is one of 25 schools operated by Topeka Public Schools, a district that educates 11,695 students overall.

Demographically, Topeka West High lists that the largest single group is White at 44%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school records 25% Hispanic, 16% multiracial, 13% Black. By comparison, Shawnee County as a whole is about 75% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Topeka West High has 73 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.3:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 11.9:1 average. Roughly 56% of students at Topeka West High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

After controlling for student poverty, Topeka West High performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 35.3%, the actual is 25.2%, a residual of -10.1 points.

Around the school, census data for Shawnee County shows median household earnings sit near $67,104, about 32% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Shawnee County runs 54 public schools (combined enrollment of about 26,294 students), of which Topeka West High is one.

Nearest neighbor: McCarter Elem, around 0.4 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Topeka West High. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Topeka West High at 8th of 9; the average score across the group is 30.8%.

Geographically, the school is in an urban area.

Looking at the recent track record. Topeka West High's enrollment has contracted 5% since 2018, when it stood at 1,018 (now 971). Over the same period, the White share shrank from 52% to 44%.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.