The top reported proficiency rate is 4% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bryant Opportunity Academy
Bryant Opportunity Academy is a very small elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Wichita, Kansas. It is part of the Wichita public school district, the state’s largest. The school’s name carries a designation that often signals an alternative or nontraditional setting, though the available data does not specify a particular model or mission. With a total enrollment that places it among the smallest elementary schools in the area, Bryant Opportunity Academy operates as a standard public school, not a charter or magnet.
The student body is diverse. Black students make up the largest share, followed by roughly equal proportions of White students and students identifying as two or more races. A very small number of American Indian or Alaska Native and Hispanic students are also enrolled. The economic need among families is substantial: nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, one of the highest rates seen in the region. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so it is unclear what share of students receive specialized services or language support.
Academically, the school faces steep challenges. On Kansas state assessments, proficiency rates were near zero in mathematics across tested grades (fourth and fifth) and in fifth-grade science. In English language arts, fifth-grade proficiency was very low, and fourth-grade proficiency was also reported at zero. These results place the school’s overall academic performance in the bottom quartile among all districts in Sedgwick County. It is worth noting that Kansas changed its assessment cut scores recently, which may affect comparisons with prior years, but the current snapshot points to a setting where most students are not yet meeting grade-level standards. A parent considering this school would want to understand what instructional supports and interventions are in place to address these gaps.
Beyond testing data, the picture is incomplete. The typical school environment measures—chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, and course access—are not available in this profile. The school’s Title I status was also not reported, though the very high poverty rate makes it likely that federal Title I funds support the school. No programs or extracurricular offerings were listed.
The school sits within Wichita, Kansas’s largest city, a place defined by its aerospace manufacturing economy, a mix of downtown revitalization and sprawling residential neighborhoods, and a largely car-dependent layout. Housing in the immediate area around the school, based on the ZIP code, is modestly priced relative to national medians, with home values and rents that have been rising at a moderate pace. For families in the Wichita Public Schools system, Bryant Opportunity Academy represents one of many elementary options, but its distinctive profile as a small, opportunity-named school serving a high-poverty community with very low current test performance sets it apart. A parent exploring this school would be well served to visit, ask about the specific academic and social-emotional supports available, and understand how the school works to move students toward proficiency when the starting point is far below grade level.
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