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Lawrence Gardner High School

Q: Is Lawrence Gardner High School a good school?

Lawrence Gardner High School ranks in the bottom 0.3% of Kansas high schools.

Q: How many students attend Lawrence Gardner High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 111 students attended Lawrence Gardner High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Lawrence Gardner High School?

Students at Lawrence Gardner High School are 43% White, 33% African American, 23% Hispanic.

Public Grades 7-12

339^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Kansas High Schools

Better than 0% of Kansas high schools

Summary

Lawrence Gardner High School is a small school in Topeka, serving 111 students in grades 7–12 in the Department of Corrections district. Its completion results are the most urgent concern: the 2023–24 graduation rate was 11%, compared with 90% statewide and 16% at the next-lowest nearby school, Avondale Academy. The 2024–25 dropout rate was 22%, versus 1% statewide, and was the highest among nearby schools with reported rates—13 percentage points above Avondale’s 9%.

Test results are also very low compared with the state and nearby schools, with no subject emerging as a strength. In 2025–26, proficiency was 4% in English language arts (ELA), 4% in math, and 0% in science; the reported results match those of the district. Kansas rates were 46%, 41%, and 38%, respectively. The nine nearby schools averaged 34% in ELA, 29% in math, and 26% in science, leaving this school 30, 24, and 26 percentage points below those averages. It had the lowest ELA and math results in that group and tied with Avondale for the lowest science result.

SchoolDigger ranked the school 339th of 340 Kansas schools in 2025–26, at the 0th percentile with zero stars; its percentile has stayed near the bottom, while nearby schools range from the 4th to the 77th percentile. ELA remained around 4% from 2022–23 to 2025–26, while math rose to 11% in 2024–25 and then fell to 4%. A notable relative bright spot is special education: SchoolDigger placed the group at the 20th percentile in 2021–22, compared with the school’s 0th-percentile overall standing that year. The reported student–teacher ratio rose from 11 to 41.7, higher than every nearby school, and the free/reduced-lunch rate was 92%, also the highest nearby; these are important context, not evidence of what caused the results. Because the school serves grades 7–12 while most nearby schools serve grades 9–12, all-grades comparisons involve different grade mixes, and results at a school this small can be sensitive to student numbers.

111

Students ?

41.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

91.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1430 NW 25th ST
Topeka, KS 66618

(785) 746-7266

District: Department of Corrections

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.2%

African American:

33.3%

Hispanic:

22.5%

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Compare Lawrence Gardner High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2019 → <1st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Kansas average (3% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (<1st percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Kansas average (11% vs 90%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school3%

District avg3%

Kansas avg42%

339^th of 340

Kansas public high schools ?

Bottom 1%▬ steady since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Kansas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

268^th of 268Department of Corrections 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
2026	2.3	339 of 340	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	2.8	328 of 332	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.6	320 of 327	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.4	323 of 324	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.2	312 of 320	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.3	323 of 325	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2023	15.4	49 of 53	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.4	47 of 48	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2019	25.4	103 of 111	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2019	7.9	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	4.3	240 of 246	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.6	243 of 250	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.5	221 of 223	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.2	208 of 213	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.4	222 of 229	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2026	2.3	272 of 272	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.9	253 of 258	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	3.7	249 of 252	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2022	27.6	94 of 117	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.4	103 of 111	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2022	2.7	307 of 307	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2022)20th percentile+19 vs school

African American (2023)8th percentile+5 vs school

Disabled (2019)7th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)2nd percentile~ school

Foster Care (2019)<1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)<1st percentile~ school

White (2022)<1st percentile~ school

By subject vs Kansas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics4%-37 vs state

English Language Arts4%-42 vs state

Science0%-38 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lawrence Gardner High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				KAP English Language Arts (2026)				KAP Mathematics (2026)				KAP Science (2026)			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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 7th Grade	KAP Mathematics 8th Grade	KAP Mathematics 10th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 8th Grade	KAP Science 11th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lawrence Gardner High School	Public	7-12	1430 NW 25th ST	Topeka	66618	Shawnee County	Department of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(785) 746-7266	111	3	41.7	91.9%	48 (43.2%)	37 (33.3%)	25 (22.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2.3	339^th of 340 public high schools	0.3%		2.8	328^th of 332 public high schools	1.2%	11			4.3	4.0			4.8	4.3		0.0	0.0
Seaman High	Public	9-12	4850 Rochester Rd	Topeka	66617	Shawnee County	Seaman	No	No	No	No	(785) 286-8300	1,190	84	14.1	35.1%	985 (82.8%)	26 (2.2%)	99 (8.3%)	8 (0.7%)	11 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (5.1%)	67.8	94^th of 340 public high schools	72.4%		67.9	88^th of 332 public high schools	73.5%	6			46.6	46.6			41.6	41.6		38.2	38.2	$12,872	$602	$12,269
Capital City	Public	6-12	500 SW Tuffy Kellog Dr	Topeka	66606	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(785) 295-3600	0	21	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)				5.6				0.0			0.0	$66,468	$8,456	$58,012
Topeka High	Public	9-12	800 SW 10th St	Topeka	66612	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 295-3150	1,578	108	14.6	67.4%	500 (31.7%)	181 (11.5%)	675 (42.8%)	6 (0.4%)	14 (0.9%)	3 (0.2%)	199 (12.6%)	30.9	257^th of 340 public high schools	24.4%		32.1	237^th of 332 public high schools	28.6%	20			35.2	35.2			22.9	22.9		22.2	22.2	$15,330	$2,821	$12,509
Hope Street Charter Academy	Public, Charter	10-12	1900 SW Hope Street	Topeka	66604	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(785) 438-4280	103	16	6.2	78.6%	44 (42.7%)	12 (11.7%)	32 (31.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (13.6%)	16.4	306^th of 340 public high schools	10.0%		6.9	317^th of 332 public high schools	4.5%	11			25.0	25.0			6.3	6.3		21.0	21.0	$36,065	$2,346	$33,719
Highland Park High	Public	9-12	2424 SE California Ave	Topeka	66605	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 274-6000	835	58	14.3	80.5%	138 (16.5%)	187 (22.4%)	403 (48.3%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	100 (12.0%)	5.7	327^th of 340 public high schools	3.8%		5.2	321^st of 332 public high schools	3.3%	6			13.8	13.8			8.0	8.0		8.1	8.1	$16,941	$3,098	$13,844
Topeka West High	Public	9-12	2001 SW Fairlawn Rd	Topeka	66604	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(785) 438-4000	971	73	13.3	56.2%	424 (43.7%)	130 (13.4%)	245 (25.2%)	9 (0.9%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	156 (16.1%)	44.6	201^st of 340 public high schools	40.9%		39	212^th of 332 public high schools	36.1%	11			38.5	38.5			38.4	38.4		22.1	22.1	$14,940	$1,899	$13,040
Avondale Academy	Public	6-12	200 SE 40th St	Topeka	66609	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(785) 730-8250	23	9	2.4	87.0%	6 (26.1%)	5 (21.7%)	8 (34.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (17.4%)	5.3	328^th of 340 public high schools	3.5%					(n/a)			10.0	5.0			10.0	5.0			0.0	$6,547	$757	$5,790
Jefferson West High	Public	9-12	619 Condray St	Meriden	66512	Jefferson County	Jefferson West	No	No	No	No	(785) 484-3331	247	20	12.1	30.0%	218 (88.3%)	2 (0.8%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.7%)	69.9	79^th of 340 public high schools	76.8%		49.6	161^st of 332 public high schools	51.5%	82			45.3	45.3			42.2	42.2		41.7	41.7	$17,364	$886	$16,478
Silver Lake Junior-Senior High	Public	7-12	200 E. Lake	Silver Lake	66539	Shawnee County	Silver Lake	No	No	No	No	(785) 582-4639	355	33	10.7	20.8%	321 (90.4%)	3 (0.8%)	23 (6.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	58.1	131^st of 340 public high schools	61.5%		84.7	39^th of 332 public high schools	88.3%	92	46.5	70.5	33.9	50.6	51.2	78.7	40.3	57.2	67.2	40.4	55.5	$15,444	$2,896	$12,548

Frequently Asked Questions about Lawrence Gardner High School

What district is Lawrence Gardner High School in?

Department of Corrections

Is Lawrence Gardner High School a good school?

Lawrence Gardner High School ranks in the bottom 0.3% of Kansas high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Lawrence Gardner High School?

Students at Lawrence Gardner High School are 43% White, 33% African American, 23% Hispanic.

How many students attend Lawrence Gardner High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 111 students attended Lawrence Gardner High School.

Rate Lawrence Gardner High School!

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Latest Kansas data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataOct 13, 2026

2025–26 KAP test scoresOct 13, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataJan 8, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 4, 2025

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.