The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in Science. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bernadine Sitts Intermediate Ctr
Bernadine Sitts Intermediate Center is a public school in Garden City, Kansas, serving only fifth and sixth graders. It is part of the Garden City school district, which covers the city and surrounding parts of Finney County. The school sits on the High Plains of southwestern Kansas, in a community whose economy has long been shaped by agriculture and meatpacking. Tyson Fresh Meats is the dominant employer, and the city also has a substantial immigrant population from Myanmar, Somalia, Vietnam, and Latin America. Garden City is a regional commercial and civic hub, with a traditional downtown anchored by the Finney County courthouse. The city’s population has seen modest decline since 2020, following significant growth in the 2000s and 2010s driven by immigration and industry. Housing costs in the area are below state and national medians, and the typical commute is short. The school itself is located on a campus at the northern edge of the city, separate from the downtown core, as is typical for the district’s buildings.
The student body at Bernadine Sitts is very diverse. A substantial majority of students are Hispanic, and the school serves a large number of children from low-income households, with a very high share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. White students make up a modest portion of enrollment, with smaller numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, which means a parent may want to ask the school directly about the proportion of students receiving special education services or English language support, and the resources allocated to those groups. The school has a moderate enrollment for a two-grade intermediate school, with roughly even distribution between fifth and sixth grades.
On state assessments administered through the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP), proficiency rates in math and English language arts are relatively low. In both grades, fewer than a third of students met the state’s proficiency benchmark in reading and math. Science results, tested only in fifth grade, are somewhat higher, approaching the proficient threshold for about a third of students. These results place the school in the bottom quarter among Finney County’s two school districts when looking at overall proficiency across subjects and grades. It is worth noting that Kansas adjusted its cut scores for these assessments in the most recent year, which makes it difficult to compare results against prior years. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it tracks student progress over time given this change.
Because Bernadine Sitts does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data and discipline data were also not available. The school’s website and district communications could provide more detail on attendance patterns and any intervention programs. The district itself did not have any recent major changes visible in public reporting.
For families considering this school, the larger context matters. Garden City is a working-class city with a meatpacking economy, modest housing costs, and a diverse population built partly through recent immigration. The school’s test results reflect a student body that faces significant economic challenges, and the district likely has support structures in place, though specific program offerings for this school were not available in the data. Parents with children who are English learners or who have special needs may want to explore what services are provided at the intermediate level. The school’s narrow grade span means students spend only two years there before moving on to a middle or junior high school, which may be a consideration for families thinking about transitional support.
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