Prairie Hills

Prairie Hills in Kansas includes five schools—two elementary, one middle and two high schools—serving students from elementary through high school. SchoolDigger ranks the district 16th of 268 in the state, in the 94th percentile, with five stars. Across the schools, average proficiency is above the state in ELA, math and science; math is the strongest area, averaging 63% compared with 41% statewide. The clearest broad academic concern is ELA at Sabetha Middle School, the only school below the state’s ELA result.

Axtell High leads reported all-grades ELA and math, with 60% and 90% proficiency—14 and 49 points above state results. Its math score is 27 points above the next-highest school. Sabetha Elementary is next in both subjects at 58% in ELA and 63% in math; Axtell Elementary is also strong, at 56% and 61%. At the other end, Sabetha Middle records 44% in ELA, 2 points below state, and the lowest math result, 45%, though that is still 4 points above state. All four reported science results exceed the state’s 38%.

Math improved at all five schools, by 2 to 40 points year over year, while ELA gains were concentrated at Axtell High, which rose 27 points; the other four schools’ ELA changes ranged from a 3-point drop to a 4-point gain. SchoolDigger rankings also show different paths: Axtell High moved from 5th to 121st and back to 6th, while Axtell Elementary improved from 386th to 60th over three years. Enrollment and income measures offer context, not explanations: Sabetha Elementary has 401 students and a 40% free/reduced-lunch rate yet ranks second in ELA and math; Axtell High has 49 students, an 8.8 student-teacher ratio and a 24% lunch rate. Sabetha High’s 16% chronic absenteeism is notably higher than the elementary schools’ 2% and 3%. Axtell High’s small enrollment means its percentages may shift with relatively few students tested.