The top reported proficiency rate is 53% in Math. The lowest is 42% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Concordia Middle
Concordia Middle serves fifth and sixth graders in the Concordia public school district. With two grades and a modest enrollment, it is a small school within a small north-central Kansas community. The school sits in Concordia, the Cloud County seat, a town that anchors itself around a historic downtown, a community college, a newer hospital, and county government. Families who live here are part of a stable, slow-declining population where housing is notably affordable relative to national benchmarks and where the economy centers on education, healthcare, and agriculture.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results place Concordia Middle above the midpoint among districts in Cloud County, in the top quartile by overall proficiency across tested subjects and grade levels. In math, roughly half of fifth graders and half of sixth graders scored at or above the proficiency standard on the Kansas Assessment Program. In English language arts, the share was also around half in fifth grade, but dipped to just under half in sixth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade was lower, with about two in five students meeting the bar. These figures come from a year when Kansas made changes to the cut scores for math, ELA, and science, so direct comparisons to prior years are not reliable without knowing how the new thresholds affect reported rates. Still, relative to other districts in Cloud County, this school’s performance is competitive and above the local median.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, reflecting the surrounding rural area. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic need within the school community. Race and ethnicity data show minimal diversity, with small numbers of Hispanic, Black, Native American, and multiracial students. Because the school only covers two grades, peer groups are compact, and the transition to middle school happens early: students arrive after elementary grades and move on to the junior-senior high school for seventh grade.
Other aspects of the school environment are harder to describe from the available data. Information on staffing, class sizes, course offerings, discipline, and attendance was not provided. The school is not listed as a charter or magnet, and its Title I status is not stated. A parent may want to ask the district directly about special education services, English learner supports, and enrichment opportunities such as music, art, or extracurriculars, since those details are not captured here. The district itself appears to have no major recent changes reported in the research period, meaning no bond issues, curriculum overhauls, or boundary shifts that would reshape the day-to-day experience for families.
Housing context matters for anyone considering a move to Concordia. Home values are well below national medians, and rents are also moderate. A typical household in the area would find mortgage or rent payments to be a thin share of income relative to the country as a whole. The town’s institutional anchors, including Cloud County Community College, the restored Brown Grand Theatre, and the Orphan Train Complex, provide cultural and educational resources that a small city might not otherwise offer. The airport, sports complex, and county library add to the mix. But growth is not rapid; the population has been declining, and new housing developments were not identified in the sources reviewed.
For a family looking at Concordia Middle, the academic picture is one of a school performing at about the middle of the pack nationally but standing out in its local county. The compact grade span means students have a focused two-year experience before moving on. The peer environment is homogeneous and economically mixed. The community is affordable, small, and heavily shaped by its role as a county seat. There are real gaps in the available data on classroom supports and school climate, so a parent would be wise to visit, talk to teachers, and ask about the transition from elementary to middle to high school within the district.
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