The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on R V Haderlein Elem
R V Haderlein Elementary serves prekindergarten through fifth grade in the small county-seat town of Girard, Kansas, part of the Girard public school district. The school sits within a community that blends residential neighborhoods, civic buildings, and small businesses around a traditional public square. Girard is a compact prairie town where the school buildings are woven into the fabric of the town itself rather than isolated on separate campuses.
The school is the sole elementary campus for the district. Enrollment is large for the grade band served, and the student body is predominantly white, with a much smaller share of students who are Hispanic and an even smaller share who identify with two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families face economic constraints. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available in the reporting.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture across grade levels and subjects. In third grade math, the share of students meeting the state's proficiency benchmark was low. Fourth grade math was much stronger, with a majority of students scoring at or above the proficient level. Fifth grade math settled between those two. In English language arts, third grade again showed a low proficiency rate, while fourth grade posted a strong result, with a majority of students meeting the bar. Fifth grade reading dipped back below that level. In science, tested only in fifth grade, the majority of students scored proficient or above, a notably solid outcome.
When placed against other districts in Crawford County, the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades lands in the top quartile. That means that taken as a whole, the school’s academic performance is among the stronger in the county, driven especially by the fourth grade and science results. The lower third grade numbers are a soft spot a parent may want to explore further with the school, particularly given that grade serves as an early benchmark.
Because the school serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or course access was available. The district brief turned up no recent changes of note in Girard’s school operations, suggesting stability in leadership and programming.
Housing in the area is well below the state median home value, and home values in the immediate zip code have declined slightly year over year. Rents are also relatively low. For a family considering a move, the area offers an affordable entry point compared to much of Kansas. The town’s economy, once driven by mining, is now anchored by agriculture, the local medical center, the county government, and the school district itself. Girard is car-dependent, with limited transit, and sits along a highway that connects to larger towns like Pittsburg and Joplin, Missouri.
For a family looking at this school, the main takeaways are straightforward. Academically, the school performs unevenly by grade but overall sits among the better performers in Crawford County. The student body is not economically homogenous, and the school serves a significant number of children from lower-income households. The town is small, quiet, and affordable, with civic life centered on the courthouse square. A parent weighing this option should feel comfortable that the school’s district-level peers rank it well, but should also look closely at the early grade results and ask what supports are in place for students who arrive below benchmark in third grade.
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