Dexter Elem, Dexter KS - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Dexter Elem

Dexter Elem is a small elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the rural community of Dexter, Kansas. The school is the only elementary campus in its district, and its enrollment is modest, drawing from a town that has seen a steady population decline over recent decades. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a very small number of Hispanic and multiracial students, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Academically, the school posts results that are notably strong when measured against other districts in Cowley County. The overall proficiency rate across tested subjects and grades places Dexter Elem in the top quartile of its county peers, a clear strength. Within that picture, there is some grade-level variation. Third graders show very high proficiency in English language arts, while fourth graders show a more moderate performance in both ELA and math. Fifth graders, however, return to high proficiency across all three tested subjects: math, ELA, and science. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or high school outcome data to consider, and chronic absenteeism information was not available.

The community of Dexter itself is a very small town with a compact layout that makes the school and local amenities easily reachable on foot. The town's historic roots as a railroad junction on Grouse Creek are visible in its quiet main street and modest stock of houses. The local economy centers on Henry's Candies, a candy factory that produces the “Momma Henry” bar, and on the school district itself; few other employers are present. Dexter has lost population over the past two decades, and no major new housing developments or growth projects have been publicly reported.

The district itself appears stable, with no recent curriculum overhauls, bond referendums, or tax shifts that surfaced in available public records. For families who value a rural, close-knit setting and a school that delivers solid academic results for its elementary students, particularly in the upper grades, Dexter Elem offers a strong fit. The shrinking local population is a factor to consider for long-term planning, but the school's current performance stands out among its county neighbors.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 47 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 392%

School 92% · District 92%

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 55 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Science

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 77%

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

This schoolDexter, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income54%Higher-income82%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income46%7 pp gap