Wanamaker Elem

Wanamaker Elem is a large elementary school that serves part of Topeka, Kansas. The latest federal count shows 475 students in pre-K through 6. The average for elementary schools in Kansas is about 313 students, so this school is 52% above average.

Auburn-Washburn is made up of 9 schools with 5,866 students in all.

A majority of students at Wanamaker Elem, 60%, are White. Beyond that, enrollment is 16% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, 8% Asian, and 4% Black. The White share of the county population is higher, at 75%. By the diversity index, Wanamaker Elem comes in at 59%.

Staffing totals 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 13.6:1. Elementary schools in Kansas average about 13.2:1, a similar figure. A measure often used for student poverty, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, stands at 40%. That is lower than the 54% average for public schools in Shawnee County.

Wanamaker Elem scores 50.8% on state tests, averaged across results. The predicted figure, based on its student poverty level, is 43.3%.

Recent Census Bureau figures for Shawnee County show that median household income is about $67,104, roughly 32% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Federal data list 54 public schools in Shawnee County, with a combined enrollment of about 26,294.

The closest public school to Wanamaker Elem is McCarter Elem, about 1.7 miles away. Within five miles of Wanamaker Elem, there are at least 8 other public schools. Of 9 schools in the immediate area with test results, Wanamaker Elem ranks 2nd on average proficiency.

Locale data from NCES put Wanamaker Elem inside a principal city with a population between 100,000 and 250,000 (City: Mid-size).

From 2020-21 to 2024-25, Wanamaker Elem went from 488 students to 475.

Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at Wanamaker Elem. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.