Peabody-burns Jr/sr High School, Peabody KS

Original Research by School Decision on Peabody-burns Jr/sr High School

Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School serves students in sixth through twelfth grade in the small rural town of Peabody, at the foot of the Flint Hills in Marion County. It is one of two schools in the Peabody-Burns district and the only secondary school. The school is located north of the historic downtown, which features a National Register-listed 1880s commercial district and late Victorian architecture. The town is known locally for its annual July Fourth celebration, and the school district itself is the largest employer in Peabody. The population of Peabody has been declining in recent years, and there is no evidence of major new housing development.

The enrollment at the school is small, with a clear majority of students identifying as white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the community. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent changes, which is consistent with a small, stable rural district.

State assessment results from the Kansas Assessment Program provide a picture of academic performance that lags behind state averages. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low across all tested grades, with sixth grade particularly weak. Performance in English language arts was also low across middle school grades, with about a quarter of students reaching proficiency. In science, tested only in eighth grade, the proficiency rate was very low. The comparison fact-set, which places this school relative to districts in Marion County, positions the school in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. This is a soft spot that a parent may want to look into further with the school.

Graduation rate data was not available in the data provided. Because the school serves grades six through twelve, a high school graduation rate would ordinarily be expected, but its absence here means a parent should ask the school or district directly for that figure. Data on chronic absenteeism was also missing.

The school is not a charter school. Information on Title I status, magnet status, and school type was not provided in the data.

The academic pathway at Peabody-Burns Jr/Sr High has clear challenges on state assessments. For a family weighing this school, the core question is how those test results align with their child's needs. The school environment is that of a small rural secondary campus, where the student body is small enough that most students likely know each other and the staff. The community context is a town that is shrinking slowly, with a historic downtown and a strong sense of local identity, but limited economic growth. Housing values in the area are well below the national median, which makes the community relatively affordable, though that also reflects the broader economic constraints.

For a family that values a small, familiar school in a quiet rural town and is willing to engage closely with the school around academic support, this setting could be a good fit. For a family looking for a school with higher measured academic performance or a wider array of course and program offerings, the assessment results and the limited program data presented here would be cause for further investigation. The data does not show what programs, if any, the school offers beyond the core curriculum.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 16 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

348 schools plotted. 12 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 8%

▼ 33 pts below state median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 8 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 725%

School 25% · District 25%

▼ 16 pts below state median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 27%

▼ 10 pts below state median

Science

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 23 pts below state median

This schoolPeabody-Burns, 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.