Tecumseh North Elem, Tecumseh KS

Original Research by School Decision on Tecumseh North Elem

Tecumseh North Elem serves students from preschool through sixth grade and sits in the unincorporated community of Tecumseh, a small, low-density place east of Topeka along the Kansas River. The area blends quiet suburban residential streets with industrial facilities, including a cellophane factory that is the only one of its kind remaining in the country. Tecumseh's growth has been cyclical: it revived as a Topeka suburb in the mid-20th century, then lost a major employer when a power plant was decommissioned and demolished. Today the community's civic anchors are modest—two churches, a post office, and this school. Families living here rely on cars for most errands and look to Topeka for major services and amenities.

The school is part of Shawnee Heights USD 450, which received voter approval for a bond issue for district-wide facility upgrades, including safety and security improvements, HVAC and roofing work, and classroom additions at the high school and middle school. That investment signals a district actively addressing its physical infrastructure.

Tecumseh North Elementary enrolls a moderate number of students across grades PK through six, with class sizes that appear balanced across the grade levels. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with a substantial share of households under moderate economic pressure. Racially, the student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black and multiracial students. Data on special education and English learner enrollment were not reported in the available records.

Academically, state test results from the Kansas Assessment Program are available for grades three through six in math and English language arts, and for grade five in science. The state changed proficiency cut scores for the 2024-25 school year, making direct comparisons to prior years unreliable, so the snapshot is best read as a current baseline. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varied by grade, landing mostly between roughly a third and two fifths, with one grade level showing a softer result. In English language arts, performance ranged more widely: a couple of grade levels approached or exceeded half of students meeting the bar, while others were below that mark. In science, tested only in fifth grade, around two fifths of students were proficient. When compared with other school districts in Shawnee County, the school's overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to ask the school how its curriculum and interventions are supporting core academic growth.

Because Tecumseh North Elem serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data and discipline statistics were also absent from the available information, so patterns around attendance and school climate are not something a reader can assess from this record. The school has no charter or magnet status.

The housing market in the Tecumseh area is moderately priced relative to the nation. Home values are somewhat above the Kansas median but still below the national median, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a typical home is a substantial but not extreme share of a median household income. Rents are lower than mortgage costs, which may matter for families weighing homeownership against renting.

For a family considering this school, the picture is that of a small-community elementary within a district that is investing in facilities, serving a population with above-average economic need, and producing academic results that are below the county midpoint. The community itself is quiet and car-oriented, with limited local commerce but reasonable proximity to Topeka. The school's strengths lie in its role as a neighborhood anchor and its early-grade focus, while families focused on later-grade outcomes or a wider range of program offerings will find those beyond this building's scope.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 43% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 48% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 37% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 46% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 49% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 51% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 50% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 39% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 43%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

This schoolShawnee Heights, 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-income37%Higher-income43%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income50%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income52%4 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income43%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income40%8 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income54%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income20%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income50%35 pp gap