The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Science. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Randolph Middle
Randolph Middle serves grades five through eight as a part of Blue Valley USD 384, a small public school district based in the north-central Kansas community of Randolph. The school operates on a single compact campus alongside the district’s elementary and high school, and its enrollment is small, drawing from the town itself and the surrounding rural area. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a modest share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available in the source material.
Academically, the school’s state assessment results present a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency rates are above half in each tested grade, with eighth graders showing a higher level of performance than the lower grades. Mathematics proficiency tells a different story: it declines as students move up, starting around the midpoint for sixth graders and dropping to a lower level by eighth grade. Eighth-grade science results are strong, with a large majority of students scoring at or above the proficiency standard. When compared to other districts in Riley County, Randolph Middle’s overall proficiency index lands below the middle of the pack, though there are only a handful of districts in that county, so the range is narrow)Skip. A parent may want to discuss math support with the school directly, especially for students entering the upper middle grades. Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data did not include information about advanced coursework, career pathways, or dual-credit opportunities at this level.
The school’s environment is shaped by the town it serves. Randolph is a very small, primarily residential community located north of Manhattan, Kansas, along Highway 77. The town was relocated to its current hilltop site in the early 1960s after the original settlement was submerged by the Tuttle Creek Reservoir, and its streets are named after the four towns that were lost. As a result, Randolph is much smaller today than its predecessor, and its population has seen a slight decline in recent years. The town’s website describes it as a family-oriented place with a large park and many young families, and outdoor recreation such as camping, fishing, and biking is available within a short distance of town near Tuttle Creek Lake. The local economy is tiny, with educational services, public administration, and agriculture as the leading employment sectors, and many residents likely commute to Manhattan for workros. The median household income and homeownership rate in Randolph are both above the national midpoints, and housing values in the area have risen notably over the past year. There is no major new development or construction reported, and the housing stock reflects the small-town character of the community.
For a family considering Randolph Middle, the peer environment is that of a very small, tight-knit rural school where most students come from white, non-impoverished backgrounds. The academic pathway shows clear variability, with English and science results appearing stronger than math, particularly in the upper grades. The housing market is relatively affordable compared to larger metro areas, though prices have been climbing, and the town’s slight population decline and limited commercial infrastructure may mean fewer local amenities than families find in Manhattan or other larger towns. The district itself did not report any recent major changes or initiatives in the publicly available information reviewed. This school fits a family that values a small, close community setting, with the understanding that academic supports in math may need to be supplemented or monitored closely as students progress through the middle grades.
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