Bluestem

The Bluestem school district in Kansas operates two schools - Bluestem Elementary School and Bluestem Junior/Senior High. Both schools have seen a decline in their statewide rankings over the past three years, with the elementary school dropping from 491 out of 660 Kansas elementary schools to 415 out of 656, and the high school dropping from 293 out of 327 Kansas high schools to 250 out of 332.

The schools face several challenges, including relatively high chronic absenteeism rates of 19.5% at both the elementary and high school levels. Test scores at both schools are generally below the state average, with particularly low performance in mathematics across all grades. Socioeconomic factors may be playing a role, as both schools have high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, with over 40% at the elementary school and over 50% at the high school.

Despite these challenges, Bluestem Junior/Senior High does have a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 89.5% and a low dropout rate of 1.3% in 2023-2024. However, these metrics alone do not tell the full story of the school's academic performance. Overall, the Bluestem school district appears to be facing significant challenges in maintaining the academic performance and statewide rankings of its two schools, and addressing issues such as chronic absenteeism, mathematics instruction, and the impact of socioeconomic factors could be key areas of focus for improvement.