Amanda Arnold Elem, Manhattan KS

Original Research by School Decision on Amanda Arnold Elem

Amanda Arnold Elementary is a public school in Manhattan, Kansas, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Manhattan-Ogden school district and sits in a community shaped by Kansas State University, the city’s dominant employer and cultural anchor. Manhattan’s downtown, built on the flat floodplain at the junction of the Kansas and Big Blue rivers, has a college-town energy with eclectic shops, local dining, and the Flint Hills Discovery Center. The city has grown steadily for decades, and the university’s presence draws families who work in education, the public sector, retail, and at nearby Fort Riley.

The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly white, with notable shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school in a moderate range compared to other Kansas elementary schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available records, so a parent wanting to understand the school’s special education or language support services would need to ask directly.

On state assessments, Amanda Arnold’s students performed above the midpoint for Riley County districts when combining all tested subjects and grades. In math, proficiency across third, fourth, and fifth grade ranged from roughly six in ten students meeting the bar to just under three-quarters; in English language arts, the pattern was similar. Fifth-grade science results also showed a clear majority of students reaching the proficient level. The state changed the cut scores for these tests in recent years, which makes it difficult to compare current results with earlier years, but the current snapshot is a solid one for a school of this grade span. Because Amanda Arnold serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to consider.

The school’s location in Manhattan places it in a housing market that is relatively expensive for the region. Home values have risen moderately, and rents have increased at a faster pace. The typical household income nationally has climbed slowly, making affordability a consideration for families moving into the area, though the school itself draws from a mix of neighborhoods near the university and the city’s residential core.

No information was available about specific programs such as art, music, foreign language, or gifted offerings, nor about class sizes, staffing levels, or discipline patterns. A parent exploring the school would want to ask about these directly during a visit or through the district office. The Manhattan-Ogden district’s recent strategic priorities and any bond or referendum activity also did not surface in the available research, so it is unclear whether the district is planning facility upgrades or program expansions that could affect Amanda Arnold.

Altogether, Amanda Arnold Elementary presents as a school with above-average academic results relative to its county peers, situated in a college town with a stable economy and a growing population. The missing data on student support services and program breadth means a family should take the step of contacting the school to fill in those details. For a parent who values a solid foundational academic environment in a university-oriented community, this school warrants a close look.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 44% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 52% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 51% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 56% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 464%

School 64% · District 57% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 56% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 52% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolManhattan-Ogden, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income75%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income69%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income75%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income57%Higher-income73%15 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income69%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income75%17 pp gap