Caldwell

The Caldwell school district in Kansas consists of two schools - Caldwell Elementary and Caldwell Secondary School. While the elementary school performs close to the state average, the secondary school stands out as a top performer in the district and the state.

Caldwell Secondary School is ranked 50th out of 332 Kansas high schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school boasts a strong 89.5% 4-year graduation rate, a low 1.3% dropout rate, and students who outperform the state average on English Language Arts assessments. In contrast, Caldwell Elementary has a 3-star rating and test scores that are generally in line with or slightly above the state averages.

Both schools face challenges, with high rates of chronic absenteeism and a large majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. However, the higher spending per student at Caldwell Secondary School compared to the elementary school may be an efficient allocation of resources, given the stronger academic performance at the secondary level. The significant difference in performance between the two schools suggests that school leadership, culture, and other non-financial factors play a crucial role in student outcomes.