Best Public Schools in Topeka, KS

Topeka has 41 schools—24 elementary, eight middle, eight high schools and one alternative school—serving students from elementary through high school; 40 have current 2025–26 test results. The results vary widely: 10 schools are above the state in ELA, nine in math and 15 in science. The clearest takeaway is that families will find both schools well above state results and schools far below them, rather than one consistent pattern across the area.

Jay Shideler Elementary leads in ELA and math, with 67% and 65% proficient, compared with state results of 46% and 41%; its science result is 58%. Wanamaker Elementary leads in science at 63%, 25 points above the state. Farley Elementary is strong across all three subjects, at 63% in ELA, 61% in math and 55% in science. At the other end, Lawrence Gardner High School reports 4% in ELA, 4% in math and 0% in science—42, 37 and 38 points below state results, respectively. Among regular high schools, Highland Park High is lowest in all three subjects.

Recent changes are mixed, not a uniform area-wide trend: Farley gained 12 points in ELA and six in math from 2024–25, while its science result slipped two points; Whitson Elementary gained 22 points in science, and North Fairview lost 16. SchoolDigger rankings offer another perspective: Jay Shideler ranked 85th of 657 Kansas elementary schools in 2025–26, while Farley ranked 115th of 657. Size and reported lunch rates do not neatly sort results: Jay Shideler enrolls 492 students and Farley 596, while Washburn Rural High enrolls 1,878 and is closer to state results; Farley’s free/reduced-lunch rate is 33%. Results may not be directly comparable where schools serve different grade spans, and some alternative schools are small.