The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Stanton County Elementary
Stanton County Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in Johnson, Kansas, the county seat of Stanton County. Johnson is a small, rural town on the High Plains in the far southwest corner of the state, a primarily residential community built around agricultural employment and county government. The town has seen modest population growth in recent years. The school itself sits within the town’s core, alongside the Stanton County High School, placing school and civic life in the same walkable footprint.
This is a single elementary school for the entire Stanton County school district, which means it draws from the whole county. The enrollment is modest, and a substantial share of students come from families with low enough incomes to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with a large American Indian or Alaska Native population and very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
State assessment results are available for several grades, though the data carries a note that Kansas changed its cut scores for these tests, which can make year-over-year comparisons unreliable. In English language arts, proficiency rates measured by the Kansas Assessment Program varied noticeably by grade level. Fourth graders posted a rate that suggests roughly half of students met the state’s performance benchmark. Third graders also showed proficiency at a rate near that range. Fifth grade English language arts results were markedly lower, with a rate below one in five students scoring proficient. Sixth graders fell in a middle range.
In math, the pattern was different. Fourth and fifth graders both posted rates that would place around four in ten students at the proficient level. Third grade math proficiency was lower, below a third. Sixth graders also came in not far from four in ten. These rates are consistent with an elementary school where performance varies substantially from one grade to the next, a pattern parents may want to discuss with the school to understand how curriculum and support flow across the grades.
Science is tested in fifth grade only. The proficiency rate there was similar to the performance seen in several of the math and English language arts results.
Because this school serves only through sixth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The comparison to other districts in Stanton County is not a meaningful frame: the county has only one district, so this school can only be compared to itself. Readers should look to the state’s broader results to place these proficiency rates in context.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access, including any gifted or special programs. Information on the share of students with individualized education plans or English learner status was also absent. A parent looking for detail on student support or school climate would need to ask the district directly.
The district brief from public sources did not surface any recent major changes, budget events, or new initiatives for Stanton County schools. The district appears to be in a holding pattern of steady, quiet operation, which may be exactly what many families want.
Housing in the area is priced well below national and state averages. For a family moving to Johnson or the surrounding county, the cost of buying a home is low relative to most of the country. The community’s small size means limited retail and services, but also a setting where the school is the center of town life and children walk to the same building from kindergarten through sixth grade. This is a school for families who want a rural, small-district experience with a straightforward academic program and a student body that reflects the agricultural community around it.
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