The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 60% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Soderstrom Elem
Soderstrom Elementary is the only pre-kindergarten through grade four building in the Smoky Valley school district, serving the small city of Lindsborg. Lindsborg, known as Little Sweden for its Swedish immigrant heritage, is a compact town of a size that allows the elementary school, middle school, high school, and Bethany College to all sit within the city limits, closely integrated with the downtown rather than on isolated campuses. The community has a stable, quiet rhythm shaped by heritage festivals, a college-town academic presence, and local institutions like the Old Mill museum and the Sandzén Memorial Gallery. The district itself has no major recent changes for parents to track, based on available information.
The school enrolls a total of students across grades PK through four, making it a relatively small elementary school. The student body is predominantly white, with the next largest group being students who identify as Hispanic, followed by those who identify with two or more races; black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students make up a very small share of the enrollment. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
State testing results from the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) are available for grades three and four, and they show a strong academic picture for the school, especially for its grade band. In reading, third graders demonstrated a high proficiency rate, and fourth graders performed well above the statewide benchmark. In math, both grades also posted solid results. When compared against the other districts in McPherson County, Soderstrom Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the top quartile, meaning its students, as a group, are performing at a level above those in most of the surrounding districts. Because the state changed its cut scores for these assessments, direct year-to-year trend comparisons are not reliable, but the single-year picture is clearly strong.
The school serves only grades PK through four, so there is no graduation rate, and no chronic absenteeism data was available in the data provided. Information on special education identification rates and English learner counts was also missing, which means a parent who wants to understand how the school supports students with disabilities or multilingual learners would need to ask the school directly.
Soderstrom Elementary is not a charter school, and its Title I status was not provided. No program offerings were listed in the available data, so a parent looking for specifics on art, music, foreign language, or other enrichment in the early grades should seek that information from the school.
Housing in the area is moderately valued relative to national benchmarks. A home of typical value in the local market is a bit below the state average, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on such a home is comparable to what a renter might expect to pay, suggesting ownership may be within reach for many local families. The school sits within Lindsborg’s compact residential grid, which is built around low-density single-family homes, so most students likely live within a short distance of the school.
For a family looking at an elementary school with proven academic performance in a stable, culturally distinctive small town with a college presence, Soderstrom Elementary fits that picture well. Its standout testing results relative to the rest of the county, combined with its small size and close integration with the town, suggest a school where students are achieving at a high level in a supportive, traditional setting. A parent with particular interests in specialized programs or in understanding the school’s approach to students with special learning needs will need to follow up directly with the school, as that detail was not captured in the available data.
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