Yates Center Elem, Yates Center KS

Original Research by School Decision on Yates Center Elem

Yates Center Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the rural county seat of Yates Center, Kansas. As the only elementary school in the Woodson school district, it is the primary academic setting for younger children in this small farming community. The student body is small and predominantly white, with very small shares of Hispanic, multiracial, Black, and Asian students. Over half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of the economic profile of the area.

State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year provide a mixed picture of academic performance. In math, proficiency rates across grades three through six varied noticeably, with some grade levels showing a solid majority of students meeting the state’s standard and others falling below the halfway mark. English language arts results were somewhat stronger, with a similar spread across grades; in several grades roughly half or more of students scored at the proficient level or above. Science is assessed only in fifth grade, and that cohort also turned in a result in a comparable range. Because Kansas recently changed the cut scores for these tests, it is not possible to compare this year’s results with prior years. A parent with a child at a particular grade level may want to ask the school how those numbers have been trending within that classroom.

The school serves the youngest grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided. A family seeking those details would need to follow up directly with the district.

Yates Center itself is a small town built around a courthouse square. It was founded as the county seat and remains the civic and commercial hub for the surrounding agricultural region. The population has been slowly declining over recent decades, and the housing market reflects that: home values are notably lower than state and national averages, making the area more affordable for families. The town’s historic downtown includes a cluster of buildings around Courthouse Square, and outdoor recreation is available at the nearby Woodson State Fishing Lake. As a rural community, transportation is by private vehicle, and there is no public transit.

Because Woodson County has only one school district, there is no basis for local comparisons with neighboring districts. The district itself did not report any recent major changes or strategic initiatives in publicly available information, at least none that surfaced in the search. That means a parent considering Yates Center Elementary will not find a thick set of recent announcements about new programs or facility upgrades; the school’s current offerings and performance are the main available evidence.

For a family that values a small, rural elementary school with a stable, close-knit community, Yates Center Elementary offers a straightforward setting. The academic results show that students perform at varying levels across grades and subjects, and the economic context of the town is modest. The missing details on special education services and English learner support are worth raising with school staff before enrolling, so a family can assess whether the school’s resources match their child’s needs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 20 pts above state median

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 9 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 12 pts above state median

Science

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 12 pts above state median

This schoolWoodson, 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-income58%Higher-income67%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income69%34 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income61%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income27%Higher-income13%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income39%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income47%Higher-income67%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income85%43 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income50%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income9%Higher-income33%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income62%23 pp gap