The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Augusta Middle School
Augusta Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Augusta USD 402 district, located in a small city east of Wichita where the Wichita metro area meets the Flint Hills. Augusta describes itself as a close-knit community with a historic downtown, and the school sits within that residential fabric. The district did not have recent publicly reported changes that would reshape a family’s sense of the school’s direction, so the picture here is drawn from the school’s own current data.
The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic population making up a notable share and small numbers of students identifying as two or more races or American Indian or Alaska Native. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a meaningful indicator that a substantial part of the student population comes from lower-income households.
On state assessments in the most recent year, proficiency rates in English language arts fell below half across all three grade levels. Sixth grade showed the strongest result among them, with seventh and eighth grade trailing close behind. In math, the rates were lower still, with the highest proficiency in sixth grade and the lowest in seventh. Eighth graders also take a science assessment, and the proficiency rate there was in a similar range. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed the school in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Butler County. Kansas changed its cut scores for math and English language arts in this testing year, which means the results reflect a new bar for what constitutes proficiency and are not directly comparable to earlier years. A parent looking at these numbers will want to ask the school how it is addressing skill gaps and what academic support is available for students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks.
The middle school years are a natural time for families to begin thinking about high school pathways. Augusta Middle School feeds into Augusta High School, and the data provided does not include the district’s high school course offerings, such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career and technical education programs. A parent considering long-term academic planning would need to reach out to the district to understand what advanced coursework and college or career preparation options become available after eighth grade. The data also does not include information about the school’s staffing ratios, teacher qualifications, or class sizes, so it is not possible to assess from this profile how much individual attention a student is likely to receive.
No discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, or attendance figures were available in the data provided, and the school’s enrollment count was not broken down by special education or English learner status. These are gaps, and a family with a child who has an IEP or who is learning English may want to ask the school directly about the supports and services in place.
The school is not a charter, magnet, or Title I school, according to what was reported.
The city of Augusta is a stable, slow-growing small community on the edge of the Wichita metro area, with a modest downtown core and civic amenities such as a municipal swimming pool, parks, a historic theater, and museums. Housing values in the area are below the national median, and the typical monthly mortgage cost for a median-priced home is slightly higher than a typical rent, though the gap is not large. A family moving to the area would find a small-town setting with a historic character and a commute distance to Wichita.
For a family weighing this school, the key takeaway is straightforward. Augusta Middle School serves a community with real economic diversity and moderate to low academic proficiency compared to other districts in Butler County. The school does well to present a straightforward picture of where its students stand. A parent who values strong state test scores or a curriculum oriented toward high academic acceleration may want to investigate further whether the school’s instructional supports and enrichment options match their expectations. A parent who is comfortable asking questions and partnering with the school on academic growth, particularly in math and science, might find this a reasonable fit within a small-town setting. The missing data on discipline, staffing, and high school pathways means there is homework to do beyond this profile.
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