The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Alta Brown Elem
Alta Brown Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Garden City, a meatpacking and agricultural hub on the High Plains of southwestern Kansas. The school is part of the Garden City district and sits in a city where the economy is dominated by Tyson Fresh Meats, the district itself, and St. Catherine Hospital. Garden City’s population is majority Hispanic, with sizable immigrant communities from Myanmar, Somalia, Vietnam, and Latin America. The city has seen a slight population decline since the 2020 census after significant growth in the 2000s and 2010s. Housing values in the area sit near the state benchmark, and the typical commute is short.
Enrollment at Alta Brown is roughly what you would expect of an elementary school serving this grade band. A large majority of students come from low-income households, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of white students and Asian students, and a modest number of Black students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported for this school, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about how those populations are served.
On state assessments, which the Kansas Assessment Program administers, proficiency rates at Alta Brown are low. In third grade, a portion of students met or exceeded the state standard in English language arts, and a smaller portion did so in math. In fourth grade, the rates were lower in both subjects. Overall, across the tested grades and subjects, the school’s performance placed it in the bottom quartile relative to the two districts in Finney County. Because Kansas recently changed the cut scores for these tests, the results from this year are not directly comparable to prior years, so it is not possible to say from the data whether performance is improving or declining. A parent reviewing these numbers may want to ask the school how it is working to raise achievement and what interventions are in place for students who are not yet on grade level.
Because Alta Brown serves only kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer advanced coursework or career pathways, which is typical for an elementary school. No information was available on school discipline rates, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism for this school.
Alta Brown is not a charter school. No recent district-level changes or strategic initiatives in Garden City were identified in publicly reported sources that would affect this school directly. The city’s downtown contains the county courthouse and historic buildings, while schools and the community college operate on separate campuses spread across town. Garden City is car-dependent for daily errands, and local amenities include a large zoo and park, an aquatic center, and a regional airport with service to Dallas.
For a family considering Alta Brown, the central question is how the school’s instructional supports match the needs of their child. The student body is heavily low-income, and the assessment data points to a building where a significant number of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks in reading and math. A parent should expect to work closely with teachers and the school’s leadership to understand what academic supports are in place. The school’s size is manageable for its grade band. The community context is a working-class city with a diverse population, a dominant meatpacking industry, and a recent slight population contraction. Families who value a tight-knit, neighborhood elementary setting in a regional center with a strong agricultural and industrial base may find Alta Brown a reasonable fit, particularly if they are ready to be proactive about their child’s academic progress.
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