Yates Center Elem

Located at 802 S State, in Yates Center, Kansas, Yates Center Elem is a small elementary campus that enrolls 249 students (grades pre-K through 6), one of the schools within Woodson. That puts it 20% smaller than the typical public school in Kansas, which averages around 313 students.

Across the 2 schools in Woodson (430 students total), Yates Center Elem accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Yates Center Elem logs that nearly all students (90%) are White; the rest is composed of 5% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

On the resource side, Yates Center Elem lists 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Yates Center Elem tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 59% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, Yates Center Elem is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 34.1%; this one delivers 48.6%, a residual of +14.5 points.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Woodson County put the typical household earns roughly $50,326 per year, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Yates Center Elem is one of 2 public schools in Woodson County (combined enrollment of about 430 students).

The closest other public school is Yates Center High, roughly 1.0 miles away. On composite proficiency, Yates Center Elem comes 1st of 7 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 23.9%.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Yates Center Elem has declined 33%, going from 369 students in 2018 to 249 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 16.3:1 in 2018 to 12.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.