The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Cessna Elem
Cessna Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in south Wichita. It is a neighborhood public school within the Wichita district, the largest in Kansas. The school building sits on a stretch of southwest Wichita that is primarily residential and industrial, not far from the manufacturing plants and airfields that anchor the city’s economy. Wichita itself is a car-dependent, sprawling city, so families who live near the school typically drive or take the bus; walkable street life is limited to pockets downtown and in Old Town, well north of this area.
The student body is modest in size for an elementary school, with a majority of students identifying as white and substantial shares identifying as Hispanic, Black, or two or more races. A very large proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are supported.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show proficiency rates that are low across tested subjects and grades. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above is in the single digits or the low twenties for grades three through five. In English language arts, the rates are somewhat higher, in the low-to-mid twenties to mid-thirties. In science, assessed in fifth grade, the proficiency rate is in the teens. Kansas changed its cut scores for these assessments, which means the results cannot be directly compared with previous years, but the current picture shows a significant gap from state proficiency targets. Compared with other elementary schools across districts in Sedgwick County, Cessna’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. This is a meaningful marker: families considering this school should expect that the majority of tested students are not meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate. It also lacks publicly reported data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access. Those gaps are common when a school has not submitted or had that data published, but they are worth noting because they limit a full picture of the school environment.
Housing in the zip code area around Cessna is notably more affordable than both the Kansas state average and the national average. Home values and rents are lower, which aligns with the area’s working-class character. The broader Wichita housing market has seen modest price growth, and the city’s economy continues to be dominated by aerospace manufacturing, a sector that has experienced cycles. For a family prioritizing an affordable place to live within Wichita’s largest school district, the neighborhood around Cessna offers entry-level options.
What this school offers is a small, neighborhood-focused elementary experience in a part of the city shaped by industry and stable housing costs. The academic proficiency data is a clear weakness, and the state’s recent cut-score change does not change the fact that performance is well below district and county medians. A parent considering Cessna should visit, ask about instruction and intervention supports, and understand how the school works with students who are behind. The school’s place in the Wichita district means that middle and high school pathways will depend on feeder patterns, which were not part of the data provided here.
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