The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Eisenhower Elem
Eisenhower Elementary serves students from preschool through sixth grade in Great Bend, Kansas, a city that functions as the commercial and government hub of Barton County. Great Bend has seen its population peak and then decline gradually over recent decades, but it retains its role as a regional center with a traditional downtown, a county courthouse, a regional hospital, and manufacturing employers like the Fuller Brush Company. The city is stable but not growing, and the housing market reflects that reality: home values are below both the state and national averages, and rents are modest. This is a place where a family budget can go further on housing than in many parts of Kansas.
Eisenhower itself is a mid-sized elementary for its grade band. The student body is roughly two-thirds white and just under a third Hispanic, with small shares of other racial groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school serves its community directly and does not have a specialized focus, such as a magnet or charter designation. The district, Great Bend USD 428, includes five elementary schools across the city, along with a middle school and a high school. No recent major changes were publicly reported for the district that would signal a shift in direction, so the context here is one of continuity.
State testing data from the Kansas Assessment Program offers a clear picture of academic performance. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above is in the mid-teens across grades three through six. In English language arts, the results are slightly higher, with roughly a fifth of students reaching proficiency in most grades, though fifth grade dips lower. Science, tested only in fifth grade, shows a low rate of proficiency as well. When compared against other districts within Barton County, Eisenhower’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This is a soft spot that any parent considering this school should understand clearly. The school’s proficiency rates are well below the county median, and a family moving in would want to ask directly what supports are in place for struggling students and what the school’s own improvement strategy looks like.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education identification, English learner status, chronic absenteeism, and discipline were not available in the record. That leaves gaps that a parent would want to fill by speaking with the school or district office. Without those figures, it is harder to assess the full picture of student support and school climate.
Civic life in Great Bend is anchored downtown around the county courthouse, and the zoo, the historical museum, and Cheyenne Bottoms wetland offer community amenities. Barton Community College is a short distance northeast of the city. Public transit is dial-a-ride rather than fixed route, which is typical for a city of this size. Short commute times are the norm.
For a family that values an affordable housing market and a stable, small-city environment, Eisenhower Elementary fits that setting. However, the academic results are significantly below county averages, and any evaluation of the school must start with that reality. The school serves a high-poverty population, and the proficiency numbers reflect a challenge common to schools in that circumstance. A parent should look into what academic interventions, tutoring, or enrichment programs the school offers and how the school measures its own progress beyond state tests. The fundamentals of the community are solid, but the academic pathway at Eisenhower is one where the floor is low and a family would want to be actively engaged to support their child’s learning.
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