Jefferson Elem, Great Bend KS - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elem

Jefferson Elem serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Great Bend, Kansas. The school is part of Great Bend USD 428 and sits in a residential area of this central Kansas city. Great Bend, the county seat of Barton County, has a traditional downtown around the county courthouse and functions as a regional commercial and government hub. The population has seen a modest decline in recent decades, and the city retains a mix of residential neighborhoods, manufacturing, and a regional hospital. Housing values in the area around the school are well below the state median, and the typical home is affordable relative to incomes. Rent is also below the state benchmark.

The school enrollment is moderate for its grade band. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that indicates the school serves a population with considerable economic need. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic presence and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided materials.

On state assessments administered through the Kansas Assessment Program, Jefferson Elem’s results varied across grades and subjects in the 2024-25 school year. In the earlier elementary grades, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were at levels that most families would consider solid. In third grade, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the mid- to upper-seventies in both subjects. Fourth grade was stronger still, with proficiency rates above three-quarters in both English language arts and math. Performance softened in the upper grades. In fifth grade, math proficiency dropped into the mid-sixties, and English language arts fell below sixty percent. Sixth grade results showed further decline, with math proficiency in the low sixties and English language arts below half. Science testing in fifth grade returned a proficiency rate in the mid-fifties. These patterns mean a parent should look closely at how the school supports students as they move into the upper elementary years, particularly in literacy.

Compared to other districts in Barton County, Jefferson Elem stands out. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades placed it in the top quartile among the county’s school districts. This is a meaningful strength and suggests that, relative to its local peers, the school is performing at a high level.

Because the school serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The district brief turned up no recent major changes or initiatives at the district level. The school itself did not have data on discipline, staffing, chronic absenteeism, or course access in the materials provided. A parent who wants to understand class sizes or student support structures would need to ask the school directly.

Jefferson Elem offers a straightforward academic pathway for families in central Great Bend. It provides early childhood education through pre-kindergarten and carries its students through sixth grade before they move on to a middle school. The strongest evidence of academic performance is in the primary grades, where proficiency is solid, and in the school’s standing among Barton County districts. The drop in upper-grade results, especially in reading, is a soft spot worth a conversation with the school. For a family living in or moving to Great Bend, this is a neighborhood elementary school with affordable housing, a modestly sized student body, and a community that serves as the economic and civic center of the county.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 40% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median

Grade 488%

School 88% · District 35% · ▲ 53 pts above district

▲ 48 pts above state median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 39% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 31% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 49% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 40% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 41% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 30% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median

Science

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 36% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

This schoolGreat Bend, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income60%Higher-income79%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income79%Higher-income74%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income78%36 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income30%Higher-income67%37 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income60%Higher-income90%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income86%Higher-income89%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income89%47 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income45%Higher-income87%42 pp gap