Whitson Elem

Whitson Elem is a medium-sized elementary-level community in Topeka, Kansas, operated by Topeka Public Schools. The school serves 416 students in grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 33% above the typical public school in Kansas, which averages around 313 students.

Within Topeka Public Schools, which oversees 25 schools and 11,695 students, Whitson Elem is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Whitson Elem shows that 50% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school logs 30% Hispanic, 12% multiracial, 7% Black. By comparison, Shawnee County as a whole is about 75% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Whitson Elem shows 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.9:1. The state averages about 13.2:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 64% of students at Whitson Elem qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is north of Shawnee County's rate of about 54%.

After controlling for student poverty, Whitson Elem sits in the top 10% of Kansas schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 31.5%; actual is 46.6%, +15.2 points clear of the demographic baseline.

Around the school, Shawnee County reports that median household earnings sit near $67,104, roughly 32% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. In all, Shawnee County runs 54 public schools (combined enrollment of about 26,294 students), of which Whitson Elem is one.

Randolph Elem is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Whitson Elem comes 1st of 9 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 27.8%.

Whitson Elem operates from a downtown location.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 4%: 400 students in 2018 compared to 416 in 2025. Class-load math has rose: from 11.9:1 in 2018 to 12.9:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for Whitson Elem typically covers school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.