The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 55% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Centralia High
Centralia High serves grades seven through twelve in the small northeast Kansas town of Centralia. It is a single public school within the Vermillion USD 380 district, and with an enrollment of well over a hundred students it is small enough that grades range from roughly a dozen students in the senior class to just under thirty in the eighth grade. The school occupies a building on John Riggins Avenue, integrated into the town’s compact street grid alongside City Hall, the library, and the community center.
Centralia is primarily an agricultural community surrounded by wheat, milo, corn, soybean, and livestock operations. The town’s population has been growing at a very slow pace, and recent civic improvements include a city pool rehabilitation. Housing values in the area are below the state median, making the local market more accessible than in parts of Kansas. The unemployment rate nationally sits at a moderate level, and the town remains a rural hub with a small downtown and a nearby recreational lake.
On state assessments administered through the Kansas Assessment Program, Centralia High’s students posted proficiency rates that varied by subject and grade in the most recent testing year. In mathematics, slightly more than half of seventh graders scored at the proficient level or above, while eighth graders reached a higher share of proficiency. In English language arts, both grades showed similar patterns with just over half of seventh graders and above half of eighth graders meeting the bar. Science testing for eighth graders resulted in a proficiency rate well above half. These figures come from a year in which Kansas adjusted its cut scores, so direct comparisons to earlier years are not straightforward.
Relative to the other districts in Nemaha County, Centralia High’s combined performance across tested subjects and grades places it at the top among the small set of peers. The school’s overall proficiency index is the highest in the county, a strong signal for a school of this size. However, the county cohort is small, and readers should note that the comparison is limited to two other districts.
Demographically, the student body is predominantly White, with a small Hispanic population and a small number of students identifying with two or more races. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that reflects the economic mix of the rural community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, nor was information on chronic absenteeism or discipline. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its Title I status was not provided.
A notable gap in the available information concerns the school’s course offerings. There was no data on advanced placement, dual credit, career and technical education, or other academic programs. A parent interested in the breadth of curriculum or postsecondary pathways would want to follow up directly with the school to learn what is available. Graduation rate data was also missing, so it is not possible to assess on-time completion from this source.
The district itself reported no recent changes of lasting impact, and the school environment appears stable. Centralia High offers a small, community-based setting where students move through middle and high school together in a town where school and civic life are closely connected. For families who value a rural school with strong academic performance relative to its immediate neighbors and who want to research program options firsthand, this is a school worth a closer look.
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