The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in Science. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Oberlin Elem
Oberlin Elementary School serves children from prekindergarten through sixth grade in Oberlin, Kansas, the county seat of Decatur County. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and sits at the intersection of U.S. routes 36 and 83 in a small, rural plains town. The school’s enrollment is modest for its grade band, drawing from a community that is compact and walkable by rural standards, with a traditional downtown, city park, library, and recreation center nearby.
The student body is predominantly white, with a Hispanic minority making up the next largest group, and very small shares of students who are two or more races, American Indian, Asian, or Black. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves many families with lower household incomes. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and language support services.
State testing results come from the Kansas Assessment Program, which the state administered in grades three through six for math and English language arts, and in grade five for science. Kansas changed its cut scores for math and ELA in this testing cycle, so direct comparisons with prior years are not possible. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varied noticeably by grade. Third grade and sixth grade showed lower proficiency, while fourth grade was around the midpoint, and fifth grade was stronger. English language arts results followed a similar pattern: third grade about half proficient, fourth grade lower, fifth grade the highest among tested grades, and sixth grade again the lowest. Science, tested only in grade five, had the strongest results of any subject and grade, with a clear majority of students meeting proficiency. The pattern suggests that the school’s upper elementary grades, especially fifth grade, are a relative strength, while the transition into middle school (grade six) and the early tested years (grade three) are weaker points on the academic profile. A parent with a child entering those lower-proficiency grades may want to discuss with the school what interventions and supports are in place.
Because Oberlin Elementary does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. There was no available data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, or course access. These are gaps a prospective family might explore with the principal or district office.
The town of Oberlin itself is a small county seat with an aging population and a stable or slowly declining growth trend typical of rural northwest Kansas. Housing costs are well below state and national averages, and the community has a modest set of civic anchors including parks, a museum, and a recreation center. The district, which also operates the secondary school, reported no recent major changes that would impact elementary families.
For families considering Oberlin Elementary, the picture is one of a small, rural school in a close-knit town, with academic results that are uneven across grades. The strongest performance is in fifth-grade science, and both math and ELA show a dip in sixth grade. The school’s economic context means a significant portion of students come from lower-income households. Without data on discipline, special education, or programming beyond the core subjects, a parent’s next step would be to visit the school and ask about gifted offerings, interventions for struggling students, and what support is available for the transition to junior high.
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