The top reported proficiency rate is 56% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Madison Elementary
Madison Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Gardner, a fast-growing suburb southwest of Kansas City. It is one of several elementary schools in the Gardner Edgerton school district and sits in the western part of the city on Madison Street, in a residential area that has seen rapid housing development in recent years.
Academically, the school’s state assessment results present a mixed picture. On the Kansas Assessment Program, third-grade students demonstrated a stronger performance in English language arts than in math, and fourth-grade results showed a similar pattern, with ELA proficiency notably higher than math proficiency in both grades. The state recently changed cut scores for math and ELA, making direct year-over-year comparisons unreliable without adjusted data. When placed against other districts in Johnson County, the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint. This is a meaningful point of reference because Johnson County includes many high-performing suburban districts in the Kansas City area. A parent may want to explore how the school’s math instruction and support programs compare with other elementary schools in the district and county.
The student body is predominantly white, with a smaller but visible share of students identifying as two or more races, and modest representation of Hispanic and Black students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with notable economic diversity. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided; those are common gaps at the school level and may reflect reporting practices rather than program absence. The school has no charter or magnet designation, and Title I status was not reported.
Gardner itself has been one of the fastest-growing communities in the Kansas City metropolitan area, with population expansion that has drawn new housing subdivisions and commercial development along the I-35 corridor. Housing costs in the area are above the statewide average, consistent with Johnson County’s generally higher-cost market. The school district is the largest employer in town, and the growth context means that families moving to the area often find a mix of newer homes and established neighborhoods. The city’s suburban, car-dependent layout places schools on separate campuses rather than concentrated downtown. The district’s recent history, as reflected in publicly reported information, showed no major parent-relevant changes such as boundary shifts or program consolidations that warrant specific mention.
Because Madison Elementary serves only pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on staffing ratios, discipline rates, and chronic absenteeism was not available. Those are typical gaps for an elementary school of this grade span and do not imply weakness; a parent may want to ask the school directly about class sizes, teacher retention, and how the school tracks attendance and behavior. Without program offerings data, it is unclear whether the school offers specialized academic pathways beyond the standard elementary curriculum, though the district’s other elementary schools likely share similar core programming.
In short, Madison Elementary sits in a rapidly growing community where housing costs reflect Johnson County’s premium market. Its academic results show a relative strength in English language arts compared to math, with overall performance below the midpoint among the county’s districts. The student population is economically diverse. A family considering this school would do well to follow up on math support, special education services, and staffing stability, using the school’s website and direct contact to fill in the gaps left by the available data.
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