Highland Park Central

www.topekapublicschools.net/

318 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

Highland Park Central, located at 2717 SE Illinois Ave in Topeka, Kansas, is a foundational elementary school within the Topeka Public Schools (USD 501) district. Serving the surrounding Highland Park neighborhood, the school is dedicated to fostering a supportive learning environment that emphasizes both academic growth and the social-emotional development of its students. As part of a larger urban school district, it benefits from the resources and standardized curriculum provided by the Topeka Public Schools system, aiming to prepare its diverse student body for middle school and beyond.

The school is deeply integrated into the local community, acting as a hub for families in the southeastern part of the city. By leveraging the tools and initiatives provided by the district, Highland Park Central focuses on foundational literacy, mathematics, and character building. For families interested in enrollment, specific academic programming, or extracurricular opportunities, the official district website (http://www.topekapublicschools.net/) serves as the primary resource for news, school calendars, and contact information regarding their mission to provide equitable education to all students.

318

Total Students

25.4

Full-Time Teachers

12.5

Student/Teacher Ratio

93.7%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Highland Park Central
Demographic	Student Count
White	50
Hispanic	149
Black	67
Asian	2
Two or More	47
American Indian	2
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
149 (46.9%)
Black
67 (21.1%)
White
50 (15.7%)
Two or More
47 (14.8%)
Asian
2 (0.6%)
American Indian
2 (0.6%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.3%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Topeka Public Schools
Phone:	(785)235-7000
Website:	http://www.topekapublicschools.net/
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	318
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	25.4
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.5
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	279
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	19

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 54

Grade 1 57

Grade 2 63

Grade 3 53

Grade 4 43

Grade 5 48