Atchison Public Schools

The four schools in Atchison Public Schools serve students across grades 2–12 through elementary, middle, high and alternative programs. Results vary by subject and school, but the biggest overall concern is that all four schools fall below state proficiency levels in ELA, math and science: the schools’ averages are 25% versus 46% statewide in ELA, 21% versus 41% in math, and 22% versus 38% in science.

Atchison Elementary stands out in ELA and math, with 38% and 29% proficient—17 and 10 percentage points above the other three schools’ averages. Atchison High leads in science at 27%, 6 points above the other schools’ average. At the other end, Central School has the lowest results in every subject: 13% in ELA, 6% in math and 13% in science, each 17–20 points below the average of the other three schools. Grade-level results add useful nuance: Atchison Middle sixth-grade math is 35%, 7 points below the state, while Atchison High’s eleventh-grade science is 27%, 3 points below. SchoolDigger gives the three traditional schools one star each; Elementary ranks 539th of 657, High 271st of 340 and Middle 318th of 368. It ranks the district 255th of 268, with zero stars.

Recent trends are mixed: the four-school average in ELA fell 3 points from 2024–25 to 2025–26, while the state result rose 1 point; math increased 3 points locally, compared with a 2-point state increase. The comparable science results, available for Elementary and Middle, fell 8 points on average, while the state fell 3. Individual results differ: Elementary ELA rose 6 points, while High ELA fell 13; Middle math rose 9 points. Attendance is another major contrast: chronic absenteeism ranges from 18% at Elementary to 70% at Central, compared with 18% statewide. High’s 95% graduation rate is a notable positive alongside its below-state test results and 31% chronic absenteeism. Free/reduced-lunch rates range from 58% at High to 76% at Central, and student–teacher ratios range from 10.1 at Central to 15.3 at Elementary; these figures describe different school contexts, not a simple pattern in achievement.