Wakefield High

Wakefield High is a senior high of very small scale in Wakefield, Kansas, run under Clay County, works with 80 students in grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 410 students per school, that is 80% smaller than typical.

Across the 6 schools in Clay County (1,272 students total), Wakefield High accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Wakefield High records that the largest single group is White, at 79% of enrollment. Other groups include 11% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Native American. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 92%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Wakefield High records 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.1:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 11.9:1 average. Roughly 50% of students at Wakefield High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Wakefield High is in the bottom 10% of Kansas public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 38.3%; Wakefield High posts 17.3%, -21.0 points below that line.

In the broader community, census data for Clay County shows the typical household earns roughly $66,176 per year, about 26% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 12%. Wakefield High is one of 7 public schools in Clay County (combined enrollment of about 1,272 students).

Wakefield Elem is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Wakefield High at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 45.0%.

Wakefield High operates from a small-town location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged up 14%: 70 students in 2018 compared to 80 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 89% to 79% over that span. Class-load math has widened: from 8.1:1 in 2018 to 10.1:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.