The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Rolla Elem (prek-5)
Rolla Elementary serves a very small student body from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the town of Rolla, a rural community in southwestern Kansas. The school is the only elementary in the Rolla district, and its enrollment is tiny, with fewer than a handful of students in some grade levels and a few more in others. Most of the student body is White, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a very small number of Black students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that is consistent with the area’s agricultural setting and modest household incomes.
Academically, state test results are available for grade-level reading and math from the Kansas Assessment Program, as well as a science result from an earlier year. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects ranks above the midpoint relative to districts in Morton County, a county that contains only two school districts. That placement suggests academic performance that is stronger than the other district in the county, though the comparison set is very narrow. In reading, about half of tested students met or exceeded state standards; in math, about one in three did. Science results from a prior year showed a similar pattern, with roughly one in three students proficient. The school uses the KAP assessment, and Kansas changed cut scores for math and English language arts in recent years, which makes direct trend comparisons uncertain. No multi-year trend data was available to show whether performance is improving or declining.
Rolla Elementary has no data reported on chronic absenteeism, discipline incidents, staffing ratios, or course access, so a parent would want to ask the district directly about class sizes, teacher experience, and student support services. There is also no information on the share of students receiving special education services or English learner support. The school’s Title I status was not listed, but given the high rate of low-income enrollment, it is very likely that the school receives federal Title I funding to support at-risk students.
The town of Rolla is extremely small, with a land area of only a few square miles and a population that has declined over the past several decades. The community sits in an agricultural region, with the nearest larger towns a moderate drive away. There is no evidence of a developed downtown or walkable street life, and civic anchors are limited to city hall. No major employers are identified in public records. Home values in the area are well below both state and national medians, a reflection of the rural and economically modest context. The district itself has had no publicly reported major changes or initiatives in recent years that would alter a family’s sense of what the school offers.
For a family considering Rolla Elementary, the picture is one of a small, rural school serving a community with clear economic challenges. The academic results are mixed but sit favorably within the very limited county comparison. Parents who value small class sizes, close-knit school communities, and a straightforward elementary program may find it a good fit. Those looking for data on enrichment offerings, teacher quality, or student behavior will need to pursue those answers directly with the school, as public records do not cover them. The absence of high school grades at this building means the district’s secondary options would be a separate consideration.
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