The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Science. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on La Crosse Middle School
La Crosse Middle School serves seventh and eighth graders in the small rural county seat of La Crosse, Kansas, as part of the LaCrosse school district. It is one of three schools in the district, all located within the town’s compact grid. With a total enrollment that is small for a middle school, the student body is almost entirely white. About half of students come from households experiencing enough economic need to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that parents may want to keep in mind when considering what supports the school can offer.
State assessment results from the Kansas Assessment Program show room for improvement. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low in both seventh and eighth grades. English language arts results were mixed: seventh graders performed somewhat better than eighth graders, but both were below half proficient. Science, tested only in eighth grade, had the strongest showing of the three subjects, with a substantial portion of students meeting the proficiency bar. Because Kansas changed its cut scores in math and ELA in recent years, direct comparisons with earlier years are not possible from this data alone. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Rush County—a comparison set that includes just two districts, so a single school can shift the ranking easily.
No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, or course access, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about class sizes, how the building handles student behavior, and whether enrichment or intervention programs are available for a small middle school. The district did not report any recent major changes or initiatives.
La Crosse itself is a community shaped by its role as the county seat and by agriculture. The town has been losing population over the past several years, and its housing market reflects that: home values are well below the Kansas median, and the typical monthly mortgage or rent is modest compared to national benchmarks. The town’s economy relies on county government, the school district, and farming. There are several small museums in a park on the south side of town, including one focused on barbed wire, and a weekly newspaper. The courthouse and city hall are on Main Street. Students travel between the elementary, middle, and high school buildings within the town; there is no separate campus arrangement.
For families considering this school, the key takeaway is that La Crosse Middle School is a very small, largely homogeneous setting in a declining rural community. Academic performance on state tests is on the lower end compared with the only other district in the county. The school’s size means children get a lot of individual attention, but the limited enrollment also restricts how many specialized courses or extracurriculars the middle school can sustain on its own. A parent interested in more detail on advanced offerings, special education services, or English learner support will need to ask the school directly, since those fields were not reported. The affordable housing in La Crosse may be a draw for families who work locally or commute from the surrounding area, but the broader context of population loss and a narrow economic base is worth weighing for the long term.
See more original research from School Decision →