St. Marks School, Colwich KS - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on St. Marks School

St. Marks School serves students from preschool through eighth grade in Colwich, a small, primarily residential community in Sedgwick County northwest of Wichita. The school sits within the Renwick district, a multi-community system covering Colwich and surrounding areas. Colwich retains an agricultural heritage and a small-town atmosphere, with ethanol engineering and manufacturing operations giving the place a light industrial component alongside its residential core. The city has experienced modest growth over recent years, with rising home values and household incomes, and describes itself as a progressive, forward-thinking community. Civic life centers on the public library, city parks, and a local church.

The student body is homogenous in its racial and ethnic makeup. A large majority of students are white, with a modest share identifying as Hispanic and very small numbers from other racial groups. A relatively small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a population that is economically well-off compared to many public schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the sources reviewed.

State testing results from a recent school year show a pattern that shifts notably by grade level. In the early elementary grades, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts are in the lower range. Third-grade math and English language arts results, for example, sit below the midpoint. Fourth-grade math is similarly modest, though fourth-grade English language arts climbs to a level that looks more solid. Starting in fifth grade, the picture changes meaningfully. Math proficiency rates rise to a strong range by sixth grade and stay there through eighth grade. English language arts also shows steady improvement, reaching a notably high level by seventh and eighth grade. Science, tested in fifth and eighth grades, posts results that align with the school's overall profile during those years. Because Kansas adjusted its cut scores for these assessments in a recent year, direct comparisons with prior years are not available at this time, so it is not possible to say whether these grade-level patterns represent a long-term trend or a single snapshot.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. No data on chronic absenteeism was available.

When compared to other districts in Sedgwick County on a combined measure of proficiency across tested subjects and grades, St. Marks places in the top quartile. This metric reflects the school's overall performance as strong relative to its county peers, driven largely by the upper elementary and middle school results.

The Renwick district operates as a standard public school district. Information about the school's Title I status and its magnet or charter status was not found in the available data. Course access and staffing data were also absent, so a parent may want to inquire directly with the school about class sizes, elective offerings, and support services.

For a family considering St. Marks, the key takeaway is that this is a school where test performance varies by grade, with elementary grades showing area for growth and middle grades performing at a high level. The student population is economically and racially homogeneous, and the community is small, stable, and reasonably affordable by national housing standards. The school serves as a feeder into whatever secondary options Renwick district provides for grades nine through twelve. Families accustomed to a diverse student body or looking for a school with a broad range of specialized programs may want to investigate further, while those seeking a small-town, middle-tier public school with strong middle school academics may find it a good fit.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 59% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 65% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 49% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 672%

School 72% · District 65% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 59% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 67% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 57% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 70% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 58% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 64% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 775%

School 75% · District 62% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 56% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Science

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 54% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 58% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

This schoolRenwick, 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-income10%Higher-income59%49 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income41%9 pp gap