The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Eugene Ware Elem
Eugene Ware Elem serves third through fifth graders in the Fort Scott school district, a public school system in southeast Kansas. The school sits in a small city that functions as the county seat of Bourbon County, a place with a historic downtown, a community college, and a role as an agricultural and small industrial center. The city has a stable, modest population and has not experienced rapid growth; a fire that damaged several historic downtown buildings was a notable recent event, but the area's overall trajectory appears steady rather than expanding.
The student body at Eugene Ware Elem is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. About six in ten students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. The school's grade configuration means it does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The enrollment is moderate for an upper-elementary school, with roughly comparable numbers in each grade.
On the Kansas state assessments, known as the KAP, the school's math proficiency rates declined slightly from grade to grade, with third graders posting the highest share of students meeting proficiency and fifth graders the lowest. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: third graders performed strongest, fourth graders were in the middle, and fifth graders had the smallest share of proficient students. Fifth graders also took the state science assessment, and there the proportion meeting proficiency was lower than in either math or English language arts. State education officials changed the cut scores that define proficiency in both math and reading for the tested year, making it difficult to compare these results with prior years. The school's overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades placed in the bottom portion of the comparison set that includes the two districts in Bourbon County. Parents interested in a more precise understanding of academic performance may want to discuss trends with the school directly, particularly since the cut score change complicates any direct year-to-year reading.
The school's setting is a city where housing costs are below both the state and national benchmarks, which will be relevant for families considering the area's affordability. The community offers a historic downtown, a large city park with trails and a disc golf course, and the Fort Scott National Historic Site as recreational and civic anchors. Fort Scott Community College, the oldest in Kansas, provides a postsecondary option within the city.
No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, course access, or special education and English learner populations. Parents who want a fuller picture of the school's climate and support structures should ask the school directly about these topics. The district brief turned up no major changes that met the bar for lasting impact.
Eugene Ware Elem serves a narrow grade band in a small, stable community. Academic proficiency is stronger in English language arts than in math, and math and science results are an area where families will want to follow up. The school shares a district with other elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, so a child moving through the system will likely transition to Fort Scott Middle School after fifth grade. The most relevant next step for a parent is to visit the school, talk to the principal and teachers about the instructional approach, and understand how the school supports students who are not yet at the proficient benchmark.
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