Western Plains South Elem/Jr High

Western Plains South Elem/Jr High is a tiny K-5 school in Bazine, Kansas, run under Western Plains. The school instructs 31 students in grades pre-K through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 90% smaller than the state mean of about 313.

Western Plains runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 127 students. Western Plains South Elem/Jr High is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Western Plains South Elem/Jr High reports that Hispanic students make up the majority at 68%; the rest consists of 32% White. By comparison, Ness County as a whole is about 15% Hispanic, so the school skews visibly more Hispanic than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school employs 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 4.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Western Plains South Elem/Jr High tighter than the state norm the norm. About 77% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Ness County runs at roughly 48%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Western Plains South Elem/Jr High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 25.1%; this one delivers 27.0%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Ness County put median household income runs about $68,616, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. Across Ness County's 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 404 students), Western Plains South Elem/Jr High is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Ness City High, roughly 11.0 miles away. On composite proficiency, Western Plains South Elem/Jr High comes 6th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 38.3%.

Western Plains South Elem/Jr High operates from a low-density location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Western Plains South Elem/Jr High's enrollment has edged up 15% since 2018, when it stood at 27 (now 31). White enrollment moved from 44% to 32% across the same window.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.