The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ell-saline Middle/high School
Ell-Saline Middle/High School sits in the heart of Brookville, a very small town about a short drive southwest of Salina along a state highway. Brookville was originally a railroad shipping point and cattle town, and today it functions mostly as a bedroom community for commuters heading into Salina. The town itself is compact, with unpaved streets, historic sandstone buildings and wooden storefronts that date back more than a century, a post office, two churches, and a restored mercantile now operating as a saloon. The population has declined over the past several decades, and descriptions of the town note its quiet, almost ghost-town character. The school is the most visible civic anchor, integrated directly into the town's footprint rather than set apart on a separate campus.
The school serves grades seven through twelve and enrolls a small student body. The student population is predominantly white, with a modest Hispanic share and very small numbers of other racial and ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting some economic need in the community. The school is part of the Ell-Saline district, which covers Brookville and the surrounding rural area. No recent major district changes were identified in publicly available information.
Academically, state testing data is available only for seventh and eighth grade in math and English language arts, and for eighth grade in science. The most recent results show that a notable portion of students met the state's proficiency standard (defined as levels three and four on the Kansas Assessment Program), but the rates were modest. Specifically, just over a quarter of seventh graders and just over a third of eighth graders were proficient in math. In English language arts, roughly three in ten students in both seventh and eighth grade met the proficiency bar. Eighth grade science proficiency was similar. It is important to note that the state changed cut scores for ELA and math in this testing year, which means these results are not directly comparable to prior years—a factor parents may want to discuss with the school to understand how performance trends really look.
When compared with other districts in Saline County, Ell-Saline’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. This comparison is based on a proficiency index that averages the available results; the number of districts in the county is small, but the position is clear. No high school state assessment results are reported in the data we received, so the picture for grades nine through twelve is not captured here. The same is true for the graduation rate—it was not available in the data, so we cannot speak to how many students complete high school in four years. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its graduation outcomes and how it prepares students for postsecondary life.
The housing market in the area shows home values well below the state and national benchmarks, with a strong upward trend in the past year, which suggests growing demand for the relatively affordable housing. The monthly cost of owning a home is estimated to be lower than the national average rent, making this a comparatively affordable place to buy versus rent. For a family looking for a small-town setting with a manageable commute to Salina, the combination of low home prices and a modest-sized school may be appealing.
Ell-Saline Middle/High School offers a small, rural K-12 environment housed in one building in a town that is stable but shrinking. Its academic proficiency rates are low relative to other districts in the same county, and state testing gaps leave an incomplete picture for the high school grades. Families considering this school will want to investigate how the school supports students who are not yet at proficiency and what pathways—career, dual-credit, or AP—are available for older students. The data we reviewed did not include program offerings, so that is another area a parent should explore with the school directly.
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