The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Riverside Leadership Magnet Elementary
Riverside Leadership Magnet Elementary is a small neighborhood magnet school within Wichita Public Schools, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is located in the Riverside area of Wichita, a historic residential district near the Arkansas River. The enrollment is modest for an elementary school, and the student body draws largely from the surrounding zip code, where median home values and rents are below the state average, reflecting a broadly middle-income and working-class area. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
The student population is predominantly white, with a Hispanic enrollment of just over one-fifth of the student body, and the remainder representing Black students, students of two or more races, and small numbers of other groups. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, which is a gap a parent may want to follow up with the school directly.
State assessment results from the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) are reported for grades three through five. In English language arts, the school’s results show a pattern where performance improves with each grade level. Third-grade proficiency is above the midpoint in the tested cohort, fourth grade is similar, and fifth grade reaches a point where a clear majority of tested students meet the state’s proficiency standard. In mathematics, the trend is also upward, but the starting point is lower. Third-grade math proficiency is below half, fourth grade improves, and by fifth grade roughly half of students are proficient. In science, which is tested only in fifth grade, a majority of students demonstrate proficiency.
The overall proficiency index for the school, which combines all tested subjects and grades, sits in a position above the midpoint among elementary schools within Sedgwick County. While this indicates solid relative standing, the individual grade-level results show that math proficiency in the early intermediate grades is a soft spot compared to language arts. A parent may want to understand what math supports are in place for third and fourth grade, where the gap between the school’s performance and the county median is narrowest.
As a magnet school, Riverside Leadership Magnet Elementary is open to students across the Wichita district through a choice application process, though its location in the Riverside neighborhood means many families likely come from that area. The school does not have a charter designation, and its specific magnet theme is not further detailed in the available data, which is another point a prospective family may wish to clarify with the school’s recruitment materials or an open house.
The absence of a graduation rate is expected, since the school serves only elementary grades. No chronic absenteeism data or discipline data appear in the record, which means a parent cannot yet assess these dimensions of the school climate from this source.
Wichita itself is a large industrial and commercial city, with an economy tied heavily to aerospace manufacturing. The school sits in the urban core, not on the growing suburban fringe. The surrounding housing market has been softer than the state average, with home values considerably lower than the Kansas median, and rents rising more quickly in percentage terms, though still within a range that makes the area more affordable than many parts of the city. Families moving to this part of Wichita are often drawn by the older, established neighborhoods, proximity to downtown and the Arkansas River corridor, and the relative stability of a long-settled residential area.
The school’s test data and magnet status give a picture of a relatively small elementary that performs near the middle of the county but with a distinct upward trajectory toward the upper grades. The leadership or magnet focus is likely the main draw for families who choose this school, but the lack of detail on that program in the public data means it would be important to get specifics from the district about how the theme is implemented in daily instruction.
See more original research from School Decision →