The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in Math. The lowest is 40% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Roosevelt Elem
Roosevelt Elem is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Hays, Kansas. It is one of several elementary schools within the Hays school district, located in the most populous city of northwestern Kansas, a regional economic and cultural center anchored by Fort Hays State University, a large hospital system, and the county government. The school sits in a residential part of the city, feeding into a district that serves families across Hays.
On the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) state tests for the most recent year, Roosevelt Elem’s academic results show a mixed picture. In mathematics, proficiency rates across the three tested grades fall in a range where roughly two out of five to just under three out of five students meet the state’s proficiency standard. The third-grade and fourth-grade math results are stronger, with a majority of students scoring proficient, while fifth-grade math dips below that mark, with about two out of five students proficient. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third and fourth grade results show a majority proficient, while fifth grade again drops below half. Science is tested only in fifth grade, and there the share of students reaching proficiency is about the same as for math in that grade. Overall, when the school’s combined proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is set against other districts within Ellis County, Roosevelt Elem’s index sits below the midpoint of the county median among school districts. A parent may want to ask the school how it supports older elementary students in maintaining gains seen in the earlier grades.
The student body is relatively small for an elementary school serving this grade band, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fourth grade and a slightly smaller fifth-grade class. The school is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students, a small number of Black students, and a modest presence of students who identify as two or more races. Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students each represent a very small fraction or none. Just over a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a substantial share of families with lower household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records, so a family with a child receiving special education or language services would need to contact the school directly to understand the level of support.
Housing in the area around Hays sits at a level near the statewide average and well above the national benchmark in price growth over the past year. Rents, based on available data, are moderately lower than the typical mortgage payment on a median-valued home. The local economy is built on education, health care, and government employment, with a historically low unemployment rate nationally. The city has a compact layout typical of a Kansas railroad town, with a traditional downtown, a university campus integrated into the city, and highways providing regional access. Walking and biking paths are publicly mentioned amenities, though automobile use remains primary. No major recent developments in the Hays school district itself were found in publicly available records, so the district context appears stable.
Roosevelt Elem offers a standard elementary program in a community that blends small-city convenience with a regional hub’s amenities. Its proficiency results are strongest in the primary grades, with a noticeable drop-off by fifth grade, and the school’s overall standing is below the midpoint among county peers. For families weighing options, this is a school where the early grades show solid fundamental skill-building, but the upper grades may warrant a closer look at instructional support and curriculum alignment. The community is stable, the housing market is accessible relative to national trends, and the district has not experienced visible disruption. A family moving to Hays would likely consider this school alongside the district’s other elementary options, and the specific grade-level performance pattern could factor into that decision.
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