Best Public Schools in Pittsburg, KS

The city of Pittsburg, Kansas has 6 schools, including 4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The data reveals a school district with pockets of high performance but also significant challenges, particularly around equity and access to quality education for all students.

Geo E Nettels Elementary stands out as the top-performing school, with the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts (57.4%) and Mathematics (43.2%) among all the schools. Lakeside Elementary also performed very well, with the highest overall proficiency rates in English Language Arts (43.89%) and Mathematics (42.43%) among the elementary schools. In contrast, Westside Elementary and Meadowlark Elementary struggled, especially in Mathematics.

While Pittsburg High School did not top the performance metrics, it had the highest graduation rate (89.5%) and lowest dropout rate (1.3%) among the schools, indicating the high school is doing a good job of keeping students engaged and on track to graduate. However, the district as a whole faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates around 19.5% and a majority of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch at most schools, suggesting economic hardship for many families in the area. Targeted interventions and resource allocation may be needed to raise the floor and ensure all Pittsburg schools are providing a high-quality education.