The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Grand Star Elementary
Grand Star Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Gardner, Kansas, part of the Gardner Edgerton school district. It is one of six elementary schools in a fast-growing suburban district within Johnson County, roughly a half-hour southwest of downtown Kansas City along the I-35 corridor. The school occupies a single building at 401 East Grand Street, in a residential part of town.
State testing results from the Kansas Assessment Program are available for third and fourth graders in English language arts and math, though Kansas recently changed its cut scores for proficiency, meaning comparisons to prior years are not straightforward. In the most recent school year, about two out of five third graders met the state’s proficiency bar in math, while roughly three out of ten fourth graders did. In English language arts, around half of both grades reached the proficient or above level. When placed against all other districts in Johnson County, Grand Star’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quarter of the county. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports students who are not yet at the proficient level and how the new cut scores affect the picture.
The school enrolls a moderate-sized student body for an elementary building. The grade span runs from pre-K through fourth, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across kindergarten through fourth grade. The student population is diverse: roughly half the students are white, about a third are Hispanic, and smaller shares are Black, Asian, or identify as two or more races. Just over half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that reflects the economic mix of the community.
Gardner itself has been growing rapidly. The city has roughly doubled in population over the past decade and is regularly cited as one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the Kansas City metro area. That growth is visible in new housing subdivisions, strip commercial development along major roads, and an increasing demand on the school district. The Gardner Edgerton district operates multiple elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school, all within the city. The district brief did not surface any major recent changes affecting families, such as boundary adjustments or new programs, in the last several years.
Housing in the area is priced well above the national median, though somewhat below the most expensive parts of Johnson County. Rents have been nearly flat over the past year, and buying a home in the area carries a significant monthly mortgage cost relative to the national median income. The 30-year mortgage rate at the time of this data was above 6 percent, which adds to the affordability challenge for new buyers. For families moving into Gardner, the housing market reflects both the demand from the metro area and the relative affordability compared to closer-in Johnson County suburbs.
No data was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or special education and English learner counts at this school. Those are gaps a family would want to explore directly with the building or district office. The school does not serve grades that produce a graduation rate, and it has no high school programs such as Advanced Placement or career and technical education pathways, as those begin later in the district.
Grand Star Elementary offers a neighborhood school experience in a growing suburban setting. The academic results place it toward the lower end among its Johnson County peers, but the school’s context includes a changing student population and a district that has been expanding quickly. A family considering this school will want to understand how the building addresses the range of proficiency levels and what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks. The school’s website and a conversation with the principal would be the next steps for those details.
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