Best Public Schools in Hesston, KS

The city of Hesston, Kansas is home to three public schools that serve students from elementary through high school: Hesston Elementary, Hesston Middle, and Hesston High. These schools are part of the Hesston school district and have a strong track record of academic excellence, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels.

Hesston Elementary and Hesston Middle stand out as exceptional schools, consistently ranking among the top schools in the state and achieving high proficiency rates on standardized tests. Both schools have received 5-star ratings from SchoolDigger, indicating excellent overall performance. In contrast, while Hesston High School still outperforms the state averages, its test scores and rankings are not as strong as the lower grade levels, suggesting a potential need to further examine the high school's curriculum and support systems.

Across the district, the schools have relatively low student-teacher ratios and higher spending per student at the high school level compared to the elementary and middle schools. However, the district faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, which is higher than the state's target across all three schools. Additionally, the decreasing percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch as students progress through the grade levels may reflect the socioeconomic composition of the community and could have implications for the types of support and interventions needed at each school.