The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Dwight D Eisenhower Middle School
Dwight D Eisenhower Middle School is one of two middle schools in the Manhattan-Ogden school district, serving grades six through eight. The school sits in Manhattan, a city dominated by Kansas State University, which is the area's largest employer. The university's presence shapes the local economy and gives the town a steady population of students and faculty, while Fort Riley, a major Army installation a short drive southwest, adds a military-connected population to the community. The Manhattan-Ogden district is itself the second-largest employer in the city.
The school's enrollment is moderate for a middle school, drawing from a broad mix of families. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that places Eisenhower within the range of many mid-sized public schools in the region. The student body is mostly white, with a significant Hispanic minority and a notable Black population. Smaller groups of students who are Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and of two or more races round out the composition. Data on the share of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available, a gap a parent may want to follow up on directly with the school.
State test results for the most recent year show a mixed picture. In math, roughly two out of every five students scored at the proficient level or above, and this rate held steady across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. In English language arts, performance varied more by grade. About half of seventh graders met the proficiency bar, while just over a third of sixth graders did, with eighth graders landing between those two. In science, where only eighth graders are tested, about half scored proficient or above. These results place Eisenhower in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency among the three school districts in Riley County, a comparison that includes both the school's own district and the neighboring districts that overlap the same county. The state changed its cut scores for determining proficiency between testing years, which makes direct year-over-year comparisons unreliable.
On the housing market, homes in the zip code covering this part of Manhattan are moderately priced relative to national averages, and rents have been rising at a pace similar to broader inflation in shelter costs. The typical monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home in the area runs above the national median rent, while rent itself is affordable relative to national median household income, reflecting the area's combination of a large student population and a civilian workforce tied to the university and the military base.
Manhattan itself sits on the flat floodplain at the junction of the Kansas and Big Blue rivers, with a traditional downtown core and a campus that is integrated into the city rather than separated from it. The Flint Hills Discovery Center and the Konza Prairie provide nearby outdoor and science-oriented attractions. The city has grown steadily for decades, and the combination of a major university and a large army base nearby means the school draws from a stable base of families, though the exact share of military-connected students at Eisenhower is not reported.
The district brief, which was searched for recent bond or referendum activity, returned no surfaced information. A parent looking for details on upcoming capital projects, facility conditions, or tax-related changes affecting the school would need to check directly with the Manhattan-Ogden district office.
For a family considering Eisenhower, the school sits in a solidly resourced community with a college-town atmosphere, but its state test scores are below those of the other districts in the county. A parent whose priority is strong academic performance on state assessments may want to investigate what academic supports and enrichment programs the school offers, and how they address the performance gaps between subjects and grade levels.
See more original research from School Decision →