The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in English language arts. The lowest is 40% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elem
Lincoln Elem is one of four elementary schools in the McPherson district, serving preschool through fifth grade. The school sits on the north side of town, and the community around it matters to the experience a family will have. McPherson is a small, industrial city with a deep agricultural history, anchored by a major wheat-growing region. Its economy blends an oil refinery, a large flour mill, an insurance company headquarters, and two colleges, McPherson College and Central Christian College. The population has been stable with a slight recent decline, and the housing market reflects that stability. Homes in the area are moderately priced compared to the nation, and rents are similarly moderate, making the community attainable for many working and middle-class families. The daily rhythm mixes industrial employment, college life, and small-town civic patterns. Walkable street life is concentrated in the historic downtown, and most families will need a car for errands and commutes.
With roughly 245 students, Lincoln Elem is a school where class sizes and building scale are manageable. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic population and a smaller share of students who are multiracial or Asian. Special education and English learner counts were not reported in the available data, so a parent should ask the school directly about supports for those groups.
State assessment results provide the clearest academic picture. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint when compared with other elementary schools in McPherson County. That is a genuine strength: relative to the county, Lincoln Elem’s students are performing well, though the district itself is not one of the top performers in the county on this measure. Within the school, results vary by grade and subject. In math, fourth graders reached proficiency at a rate that was the high point for the school, while third and fifth graders had lower proficiency, with fifth grade math notably soft. In English language arts, all three tested grades clustered near the midpoint, with fourth grade again the strongest. Fifth graders also took science, and their proficiency rate was similar to their ELA rate, right around the midpoint. Because the state made changes to its cut scores in recent years, the available snapshot is not directly comparable to prior years, so a parent cannot infer a trend from this single year. The pattern of lower math performance in third and fifth grades is worth following up on with the school to understand what interventions or supports are in place.
The school offers no high school programs because it ends at fifth grade, so metrics like graduation rate, AP, and dual credit do not apply. The district itself has not reported major recent changes in publicly available sources, so families can expect a stable operating environment without recent disruptions from reorganizations or bond-funded projects.
For a family considering this school, the fit is clear. Lincoln Elem serves a community with moderate housing costs in a stable, industrial-agricultural town. The peer environment includes a high proportion of students from lower-income households, which may affect resources and classroom dynamics. Academically, the school is performing above the county midpoint overall, but the soft spots in upper-elementary math mean that a parent should pay attention to their child’s math experience, especially in fifth grade. Anyone looking for a traditional small-city elementary with a manageable size and a community grounded in agriculture and industry will find the school a plausible option. Those who want more detail on special education, English learner supports, or specific after-school offerings will need to reach out to the school directly, since those details are not in the public data reviewed here.
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