Summary:
Lakin, Kansas, has three schools serving prekindergarten through grade 12: Lakin Elementary (PK–5), Lakin Middle (6–8), and Lakin High (9–12), with 684 students altogether. Across the schools, average proficiency is 37% in English language arts (ELA), 34% in math, and 38% in science; compared with Kansas, science is closest to the state level, while ELA and math lag more. The most serious concern is Lakin High: it has the lowest schoolwide results in all three subjects and a reported graduation rate of 44%, versus 90% statewide.
The schools have distinct strengths, but High is consistently at the bottom. Lakin Elementary leads in ELA at 46%, nearly matching the state’s 46%. Lakin Middle leads in math at 40% and science at 42%; its math result is close to the state’s 41%, and its science result is 4 points above the state’s 38%. By contrast, Lakin High posts 32% in ELA, 26% in math, and 30% in science—14, 15, and 8 points below state results, respectively. SchoolDigger ranks Middle highest locally, at the 41st percentile, compared with the 31st percentile for Elementary and High; all three have two stars.
Recent ELA and math trends warrant attention: the average ELA rate fell from 40% to 37% between 2024–25 and 2025–26, while the state rate rose, widening Lakin’s gap from 4 to 9 points. Average math fell from 35% to 34%, and the gap widened from 3 to 7 points. There are exceptions: Elementary ELA improved by 3 points, Middle math rose by 1 point, and Middle science climbed from 33% to 42%, moving from below to above the state result. SchoolDigger’s percentile rankings also improved from 2023–24 to the latest year for all three schools, though each peaked in 2024–25. Ratios range from 12.1 students per teacher at High to 18.4 at Elementary; these figures, like the schools’ similar free/reduced-lunch rates of 58%–61%, provide context but do not explain the achievement differences.
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