Union Valley Elem

Union Valley Elem is one of the middle-of-the-pack elementary-level communitys in Hutchinson, Kansas, part of Buhler, with 435 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 39% larger than the state mean of about 313.

Union Valley Elem is one of 7 schools operated by Buhler, a district that caters to 2,512 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Union Valley Elem records that 85% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority; the rest reads as 14% Hispanic. Compared to Reno County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.2:1 students per teacher. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.2:1 average. Roughly 40% of students at Union Valley Elem qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Reno County runs at roughly 55%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Union Valley Elem sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 42.8%; this one delivers 44.8%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Reno County put median household earnings sit near $60,645, about 20% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. Across Reno County's 33 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,909 students), Union Valley Elem is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Ad Astra Virtual Academy, roughly 0.5 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Union Valley Elem at 2nd of 6; the average score across the group is 29.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Union Valley Elem's enrollment has rose 3% since 2018, when it stood at 423 (now 435). Hispanic enrollment moved from 5% to 14% across the same window. Class-load math has pulled in: from 18.3:1 in 2018 to 15.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.