The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Northridge Elementary
Northridge Elementary serves students from preschool through fourth grade in Newton, Kansas. The school is part of the Newton public school district. Of the district’s five elementary schools, Northridge is the one located at 1900 Windsor Dr., which places it in a residential part of town.
The school’s enrollment is roughly what you would expect for a single elementary building in a small Midwestern city. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places Northridge in a different economic context than some of the district’s other elementary schools. In terms of racial and ethnic composition, the student body is majority white, with a notable Hispanic presence and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races. Black and Asian students are present in very small numbers. The school does not report its share of students with individualized education programs or English learners, so a parent looking into special education or language support services would want to ask the school directly for those numbers.
On state assessments, the results are mixed and largely below the district’s average across tested subjects and grade levels. In math, proficiency rates are low, with a roughly one-in-four chance that a third-grade student scores proficient or above and a roughly one-in-five chance for a fourth grader. In English language arts, the picture is somewhat stronger: about a third of third graders reach proficiency, and nearly half of fourth graders do. When compared with other elementary schools within the Newton district, Northridge sits below the midpoint in overall proficiency across the subjects and grades tested. Kansas changed the cut scores for both math and English language arts assessments in recent years, which makes it difficult to compare current results with previous years’ performance. A parent weighing these results should consider that the school serves a high-poverty population, and that proficiency rates for individual grade levels can fluctuate from year to year.
Northridge is a pre-K through fourth grade building, so it does not serve middle or high school grades. There is no graduation rate to report, no chronic absenteeism data in the available records, and no information about course access, staffing ratios, or discipline incidents. Because the school is a neighborhood elementary, those are not metrics that typically apply at this level, but a family moving into the attendance zone may want to ask about class sizes, enrichment offerings, and the transition to the district’s upper elementary and middle schools.
Newton itself is a mid-sized county seat with a railroad and agricultural heritage. The city has seen a modest population decline in recent years, and its strategic plan emphasizes downtown investment and neighborhood revitalization rather than new greenfield development. Housing values in the school’s ZIP code are below the state median, and rents have risen sharply in the past year, which may matter to families deciding whether to rent or buy. The commute to work for most residents is by car; there is no fixed-route transit, though dial-a-ride service is available. For a family, Newton offers a range of civic amenities including trails, a public golf course, museums, and an Amtrak stop. The district as a whole has a strong reputation for career and technical education at the high school level, but that is not something that affects a primary-grade building directly.
For a parent comparing elementary schools within Newton, Northridge is one of several options in a district where the elementary buildings serve different neighborhoods and draw different student populations. The proficiency numbers are lower than the district average, and the school serves a high-poverty student body. A parent may want to visit, ask about reading and math intervention programs, and understand how the school supports students who arrive below grade level. The school’s size and neighborhood feel are typical for a small-city elementary, and the early childhood presence in the building gives it a younger feel than schools that start at kindergarten. A family that values a racially and economically diverse student body in a familiar neighborhood setting may find Northridge a good fit; a family seeking top-tier test scores across the board may want to look more closely at the school’s academic supports before enrolling.
See more original research from School Decision →