The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Science. The lowest is 61% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Overland Trail Elementary
Overland Trail Elementary is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school in the Blue Valley district, located in the southern part of Overland Park, Kansas. It is a regular public elementary school serving a moderately sized enrollment, with one grade section per grade level that appears to be at capacity or close to it across most grades. The school sits within a large, car-dependent suburban city that is Kansas’s second-most populous, a fast-growing place that has expanded primarily through greenfield development and annexation. Housing values in the immediate area are well above state and national benchmarks, and rents are correspondingly high, which means families living here are generally committing to a high-cost housing market.
Academically, Overland Trail Elementary posts results that place it comfortably above the midpoint among schools in Johnson County. On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, the share of students scoring proficient or above was solid across all three tested subjects. Reading and writing performance rose steadily from third through fifth grade, with the strongest results in fifth-grade English language arts and fifth-grade science. Mathematics proficiency was lower than literacy but still at a level that would be considered broadly strong in a statewide context. Because Kansas changed its test cut scores that year, direct comparisons with prior years are not possible from the data available, but the current snapshot shows a school performing in the top quartile relative to other Johnson County districts overall.
The student body is notably diverse. White students make up the largest single group but not an overwhelming majority; Asian students account for a substantial share, and there are smaller but meaningful numbers of Black and Hispanic students, along with a modest population of students identifying with two or more races. About one in six students qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which is a low rate compared with many schools nationally but reflects the affluence of the surrounding community. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not reported in the available records, so a parent wanting to understand special education or language support offerings would need to contact the school directly.
Overland Trail operates under the Blue Valley district, which has made several recent, parent-relevant moves. In late 2023, voters approved a bond package to fund facility upgrades, safety improvements, and technology across the district, all without increasing the property tax mill levy. The district also adopted a new K-5 literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, rolled out district-wide for the 2024-25 school year. A new elementary school, Aspen Grove, opened in the southern part of the district that same year, which may affect attendance boundaries and relieve some enrollment pressure. Blue Valley has held its mill levy steady for three consecutive years, a point of stability for families weighing property tax costs.
Overland Park itself is dominated by the service sector, especially health care, retail, professional services, and information technology, with T-Mobile as the largest employer. The city has an extensive parks system, a large soccer complex, and major shopping centers, but the built environment is suburban—wide roads, parking lots, subdivisions—not a walkable urban core. Schools here are spread across the suburban landscape rather than clustered around a downtown.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of consistently strong academic performance in an affluent, fast-growing suburban setting. The student body is more racially and economically diverse than the area’s overall housing costs might suggest, though still with a relatively low poverty rate. The main soft spots in the available data are the missing counts for special education and English learner populations, and the fact that Kansas’s assessment cut-score change makes trend analysis unreliable for now. A parent may want to ask the school directly about those student supports and about how the new literacy curriculum is being implemented at this particular building. Overall, Overland Trail Elementary fits a family seeking a high-performing suburban school in a district that has invested in facilities and curriculum without raising taxes, set within a community that combines strong employment, rapid growth, and very high housing costs.
See more original research from School Decision →