Western Plains High

Western Plains High School is a small public high school in Ransom, Kansas, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of just 31 students. While the school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, it currently sits at 233rd out of 332 Kansas high schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to the nearby Ness City High, Western Plains High has a significantly smaller student population, but maintains relatively high graduation rates and lower dropout rates. However, the school faces challenges with higher chronic absenteeism rates and lower performance on state assessments, particularly in English Language Arts. Additionally, Western Plains High serves a population with greater socioeconomic challenges, as evidenced by the higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and the significantly higher spending per student.

Despite these challenges, Western Plains High has a lower student-teacher ratio, ranging from 5.5 to 11 students per teacher, compared to 9.7 students per teacher at Ness City High. The school's declining statewide ranking over the years suggests that it may need to implement targeted strategies and interventions to address the issues it faces and improve overall academic and student outcomes.