Appanoose Elementary School, Pomona KS

Original Research by School Decision on Appanoose Elementary School

Appanoose Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the rural community of Pomona, Kansas, and is part of the West Franklin school district. The school sits in a small town that has seen little population change in recent years. The district itself was formed through the consolidation of high schools, a pattern that reflects regional demographic shifts rather than growth.

The student body is small and predominantly white, with a modest share of Hispanic students and a few students of other races. More than a third of students come from low-income households qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a straightforward demographic reality, not a judgment.

Academically, the school’s state assessment results show a mixed picture that merits attention from parents. In third grade, a solid majority of students met or exceeded expectations in both math and English language arts. By fourth grade, proficiency rates dropped notably, with about a third of students proficient in math and under half in ELA. Fifth grade scores recovered somewhat, with roughly half of students proficient in math, more than half in ELA, and just under half in science. These year-to-year swings could reflect small class sizes where a handful of students shifts the percentage significantly. The state recently changed its cut scores for math and ELA, making direct comparison with prior years unreliable. Still, the school’s overall proficiency index across all tested grades and subjects places it in the top quartile when measured against the four school districts in Franklin County. That is a clear strength: this elementary school is performing at a high level relative to its regional peers.

Families considering Pomona will find a community with modest housing costs relative to national benchmarks. Home values in the area have risen at a pace well above the statewide average over the past year, though they remain below the national median. This suggests a market that has been gaining ground but is still affordable compared to many parts of the country. Pomona’s character is rural and car-dependent, with a small commercial core and civic life centered on city hall and the school itself.

The available data leaves several gaps. No information was reported on special education or English learner populations, chronic absenteeism, or discipline. The school may serve some students in these categories, but the numbers were not provided in the source data. Similarly, no program offerings such as art, music, or enrichment were listed, nor details on teacher qualifications or class sizes. A parent wanting a fuller picture would need to follow up with the school directly.

For a family seeking a small, rural elementary school with a strong academic track record compared to other local districts, Appanoose Elementary fits that profile. The variation in grade-level scores is a detail worth discussing with the principal to understand how instruction and support are structured across the grades. The school’s overall performance is a solid point, while the community itself offers a quiet, stable setting.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 63% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 23% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 52% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 56% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 34% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 59% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median

Science

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 48% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median

This schoolWest Franklin, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income70%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income47%Higher-income43%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income69%Higher-income50%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income75%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income36%Higher-income29%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income55%24 pp gap