The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Griffith Elem
Griffith Elem serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in south Wichita. It is a neighborhood school within the Wichita district, the largest school system in Kansas, and its student body is diverse in background and heavily concentrated in low-income households. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school in a high-poverty context even for an urban district. Hispanic students represent the largest ethnic group, followed by white students, Black students, students identifying as two or more races, and smaller shares of Asian and Native American students. No data were reported for students with disabilities or English learners, so it is unclear how many receive those services.
State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year show that proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science fall well below the statewide average. In math, roughly one in four third graders scored at the proficient level or above, and the share dropped by fourth grade before rising slightly in fifth grade. In English language arts, the highest proficiency was in third grade, where more than a third of students met the bar, and the rate declined in fourth grade before climbing back in fifth grade. Science, tested only in fifth grade, saw about one in five students reach proficiency. These figures are from Kansas’s KAP assessment, and the state changed the cut scores for math and English language arts in this cycle, so direct comparisons with prior years are not possible.
When compared with other school districts in Sedgwick County, Griffith Elem’s combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quarter of the group. The school sits below the midpoint of the county districts on this measure, meaning families considering this school should be aware that academic attainment as measured by state tests is lower than what most peer schools report. Because Griffith serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no chronic absenteeism data were available in the records reviewed.
The school itself is located on South Bluff in Wichita, a city whose economy remains anchored by aerospace manufacturing and related industries. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and functions as the region’s commercial and cultural center, though its built environment is mostly car-dependent, with walkable nodes concentrated downtown and around Old Town. Housing in the immediate area is moderately priced relative to the state and nation. The local housing market shows values that are below the Kansas benchmark and well below the national median, with rents also below those benchmarks, reflecting the area’s overall affordability.
No detailed information was found about programs such as gifted education, art, music, or before- and after-school care at Griffith. The school’s website and directory listing confirm it is a standard public elementary school, not a charter or magnet. No data on teacher staffing, class sizes, or disciplinary incidents were available. A parent considering Griffith may want to ask the school directly about academic supports for students who are not yet at grade level, given the prevalence of low test scores in a high-poverty setting. The school’s position within the larger Wichita district means it participates in any district-wide initiatives, though no recent district-level changes were identified in the records used for this profile.
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