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Smith Center Elementary

Q: Is Smith Center Elementary a good school?

Smith Center Elementary ranks 145 th of 656 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

145^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 656 Kansas Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Kansas elementary schools

Summary

Smith Center Elementary is a public elementary school in Smith Center, Kansas, serving 255 students in grades PK-6 and part of the Smith Center School District, which is ranked 16 out of 264 districts in the state with a 5-star rating.

Smith Center Elementary has consistently performed above the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels, with a 66.15% ELA proficiency rate and a 51.87% Mathematics proficiency rate in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the state averages of 44.47% and 38.73%, respectively. The school's performance has been relatively stable, and it significantly outperforms the nearby Thunder Ridge Elementary, which serves a smaller student population.

While Smith Center Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (48.63% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), the school's performance for this subgroup is particularly noteworthy, ranking 65th out of 533 Kansas elementary schools. However, the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 19.5% in the 2024-2025 school year, which is an area of concern that the school and district should address.

253

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,502

Per pupil spending ?

52.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

216 South Jefferson
Smith Center, KS 66967

(785) 282-6614

District: Smith Center

Students who attend Smith Center Elementary usually attend:

High:

Smith Center Junior Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.7%

Two or more races:

5.5%

African American:

2.0%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 75th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Kansas average (56% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Kansas elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg57%

Kansas avg42%

145^th of 656

Kansas public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Kansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 264Smith Center among Kansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	74.1	145 of 656	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	60.5	241 of 653	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.3	249 of 660	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.8	276 of 668	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.6	276 of 670	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.2	123 of 667	81.6%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	144 of 656	78.0%	★★★★☆
2017	63.7	220 of 659	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.3	307 of 656	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	70.0	168 of 678	75.2%	★★★★☆
2013	70.1	209 of 668	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	79.8	27 of 660	95.9%	★★★★★
2011	70.5	179 of 631	71.6%	★★★★☆
2010	80.1	53 of 630	91.6%	★★★★★
2009	83.5	5 of 621	99.2%	★★★★★
2008	78.9	77 of 614	87.5%	★★★★☆
2007	62.5	260 of 600	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.4	307 of 585	47.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	55.6	80 of 214	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	61.6	205 of 591	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.7	102 of 591	82.7%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	101 of 574	82.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	78.6	65 of 533	87.8%	★★★★☆
2024	63.9	163 of 546	70.1%	★★★★☆
2023	70.3	105 of 541	80.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.7	167 of 512	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.4	152 of 494	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.7	28 of 509	94.5%	★★★★★
2018	85.2	21 of 512	95.9%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	49.8	298 of 605	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.2	155 of 586	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	66.2	163 of 575	71.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2024	33.6	196 of 306	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.7	120 of 305	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.6	80 of 214	62.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	65.5	175 of 576	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.0	272 of 579	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	297 of 584	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.4	293 of 596	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.1	303 of 587	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	73.1	119 of 592	79.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.6	167 of 574	70.9%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)70th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2021)65th percentile+7 vs school

Disabled (2021)63rd percentile+4 vs school

Male (2021)51st percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2024)36th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs Kansas (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts66%+22 vs state

Mathematics52%+13 vs state

Science50%+9 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Rampant bullying. Wasted educational time daily. Sexism. Lying. Child Abuse. That’s usd237 Close Quote

Schools Near Smith Center Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				KAP English Language Arts (2025)					KAP Mathematics (2025)					KAP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	KAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	KAP Mathematics 4th Grade	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics 6th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Smith Center Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	216 South Jefferson	Smith Center	66967	Smith County	Smith Center	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 282-6614	253	21	12.0	52.2%	227 (89.7%)	5 (2.0%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	74.1	145^th of 656 public elementary schools	77.9%		60.5	241^st of 653 public elementary schools	63.1%	96	72.5	72.7	65.0	55.0	66.2	62.5	39.4	50.0	52.5	51.9	50.0	50.0	$15,502	$1,467	$14,035
Thunder Ridge Elementary	Public	K-3	128 S Kansas Street	Kensington	66951	Smith County	Thunder Ridge Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 476-3241	38	6	6.6	60.5%	36 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)								(n/a)													$19,514	$2,227	$17,286

Frequently Asked Questions about Smith Center Elementary

Is Smith Center Elementary a good school?

Smith Center Elementary ranks 145^th of 656 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Smith Center Elementary attend?

Students who attend Smith Center Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Smith Center Junior Senior High

How many students attend Smith Center Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 253 students attended Smith Center Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Smith Center Elementary?

Students at Smith Center Elementary are 90% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% American Indian.

What district is Smith Center Elementary in?

Smith Center

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Kansas State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.