The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Math. The lowest is 18% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Southern Coffey County Middle School
Southern Coffey County Middle School is a very small school that serves grades six through eight in LeRoy, a tiny rural town in southern Coffey County. The school is part of the LeRoy-Gridley school district, a consolidated system that merged the former LeRoy and Gridley schools. The student body is predominantly white, with a very small number of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that places the school in a high-need context. The enrollment across its three grades is small enough that the entire school population is comparable to a handful of classrooms in a larger district.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show that proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are all at a similar level. For seventh-grade math, about one in five students scored proficient or above, and the same rate held for eighth-grade math and for eighth-grade science. Eighth-grade English language arts also came in at roughly the same share. Seventh-grade English language arts was lower. When compared with other districts in Coffey County, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. Kansas changed its cut scores for the assessments, so it is not possible to directly compare these results with prior years. A parent looking at these numbers will want to ask the school about academic support and intervention programs, particularly in reading and math.
The school building sits on the main road through LeRoy. The town itself is a very small, quiet residential community with an aging population and a slow decline in residents. There is no significant commercial or industrial base; the city government employs only a couple of people. The closest options for shopping, dining, or other services would be in larger towns. Housing in the area is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. A parent considering a move here would find a low-cost rural environment with limited local amenities.
Because the school serves only middle school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access were not available for this school. The district brief turned up no recent public reports of curriculum changes, referendums, or property tax adjustments. For a small rural district with a limited public footprint, the absence of that information is not unusual, but a parent who wants to understand what programs are offered — such as electives, music, or extracurriculars — will need to reach out to the school directly.
Southern Coffey County Middle School offers a small, close-knit setting in a rural community that has seen population decline and where a large share of families face economic challenges. Its academic results are below the county average. Families who value a very small school environment and are comfortable with a quiet town that has few commercial resources may find it a fit. Those primarily concerned with strong academic proficiency scores and a wide range of programs should investigate what supports the school provides.
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