The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 46% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the small rural county seat of Washington, Kansas. The school is part of Washington County Schools, a consolidated district formed from two earlier districts. The town itself sits on US Highway 36 in north-central Kansas, surrounded by agricultural land. Housing is very affordable compared to the national market, and the town’s population is experiencing a slow decline. The community is car-oriented, though the town’s small footprint means the courthouse square, city park, and fairgrounds are not far from residential blocks. Families moving here should expect a quiet, slow-paced rural setting with limited commercial activity.
The student enrollment at Washington Elementary is on the smaller side for an elementary school. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest Hispanic population and very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that often signals the economic context of the community. The school serves a single combined campus in town, with a four-classroom addition completed in 2022 that expanded capacity for the elementary grades.
On state assessments administered through the Kansas Assessment Program, results varied by subject and grade level. In English language arts, third and fifth graders showed a strong share of students meeting proficiency standards, while fourth and sixth graders had lower rates. In math, third graders had a solid showing, but the rates dipped for fourth and fifth graders, and sixth graders had the weakest performance among the tested grades. Fifth-grade science results were similar to the lower end of the math outcomes. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages performance across tested subjects and grades, placed it above the midpoint when compared with the other district in Washington County. Because this comparison involves only two districts in the county, the range of performance is narrow, and the label reflects that small universe.
Parents should note that the school’s academic performance is not uniform across all grades. While some grade levels perform well in reading, math scores in the upper elementary grades, particularly sixth grade, are an area that may warrant a conversation with the school about support and curriculum. The district reclassified as a 2A school as of September 2025 enrollment counts, which affects athletic and extracurricular competition classifications for older students in the district. That classification is relevant for families with younger children thinking ahead to middle and high school participation.
The town’s civic anchors include a city park with a volunteer-built playground, a historical museum, a fairgrounds that hosts the county fair and rodeo, and a golf course a short drive south. No major housing or commercial development projects were identified in available sources, and the city’s online bill pay system has been noted as nonfunctional. For families interested in a very affordable housing market, a rural lifestyle, and a small elementary school where the district has recently invested in classroom space, Washington Elementary fits that profile. The academic picture is mixed, with clear strengths in early reading and notable soft spots in upper elementary math. The comparison to the other county district is a limited reference point, so families may want to ask the school directly about how they address the grade-level differences in achievement.
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