The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Central Elem
Central Elem is a public elementary school in Olathe, Kansas, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of many elementary schools within the Olathe school district, a large suburban system in Johnson County. The school serves a modest-sized enrollment for its grade band, drawing from a neighborhood that reflects a diverse and economically varied community.
State assessment results are available for math, English language arts, and science across grades three through five. Across the subjects and grades tested, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Johnson County. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varied by grade, with fourth grade showing a higher rate than third and fifth. In English language arts, third and fifth graders posted higher proficiency rates than fourth graders. Fifth-grade science results were also on the low side. A parent looking at these scores will want to investigate further with the school, particularly because Kansas changed cut scores for these assessments, making direct year-over-year comparisons unreliable.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with White students making up the next largest share, followed by smaller groups of Black students, students of two or more races, Asian students, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families in the attendance area face economic pressures. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so it is unclear how those populations are served or what support resources are in place.
Civil rights, discipline, attendance, and staffing details were also missing from the available data, leaving gaps in the picture of day-to-day school environment and student support.
Olathe itself is a large suburban city, the county seat of Johnson County, with a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial and industrial parks. Major employers include Garmin, Honeywell, and Farmers Insurance, among others. The city has grown rapidly in recent years, and that growth is reflected in the school district’s facilities planning. In 2024, voters approved a bond issue to fund a new elementary school, security upgrades, technology improvements, and land for a future middle school. At the same time, the district voted to close three elementary schools at the end of the 2024-25 school year due to budget constraints and declining enrollment. Those closures will redraw attendance boundaries, which could affect families living near Central Elem even if the school itself is not slated for closure. Families moving into the area should check whether their address maps to Central Elem or to one of the affected schools.
Housing in the area is above the national median in value, and rents have been rising. The school sits near the historic downtown core of Olathe, in a neighborhood that blends older homes with newer development. The broader city offers parks, trails, and an auto-oriented suburban layout.
Central Elem provides a full pre-K through fifth grade program within the Olathe district. Its test results, relative to the high-performing Johnson County context, give a parent reason to ask questions about academic support and intervention. The high rate of economic need in the student population may mean the school offers additional resources such as Title I services, though the data did not confirm that. For a family weighing this school, the immediate next step would be to visit, talk with the principal about how the school addresses learning gaps, and confirm attendance boundaries given the recent district realignments.
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