North Elementary

North Elementary in Goodland, KS, serves 254 students in grades 3 through 6 and is the larger of the two elementary schools in the Goodland district, with nearly 60% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. After earning top ratings and ranking in the top 20% of Kansas elementary schools from 2017 to 2019, the school has experienced a significant decline, earning only 1-star ratings for the past four years and ranking in the bottom 30% of the state. This sustained drop suggests systemic challenges that began around the 2020-2021 school year, likely exacerbated by the pandemic, from which the school has not yet recovered.

Despite these struggles, North Elementary outperforms the district average in all tested subjects—English Language Arts (39.83% proficiency vs. 33.17%), Math, and Science—making it the stronger-performing half of the district’s elementary tier. The school also boasts a lower chronic absenteeism rate (13.8%) than both the district (16.3%) and state (19.5%) averages, a notable strength given its high-poverty demographic. Additionally, North Elementary spends significantly less per student ($10,831) than nearby West Elementary ($14,854) and Brewster Elementary ($15,855), yet maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.6:1, suggesting efficient resource use.

Interestingly, North Elementary achieves academic outcomes comparable to Brewster Elementary, a much smaller school with lower poverty rates and higher per-student spending, indicating instructional efficiency. A bright spot is the school’s support for special education students, who historically ranked in the 87th percentile (4-star) in 2021-2022 and remain the highest-performing subgroup at 59th percentile (3-star) in 2024-2025. While the school faces challenges, its strong attendance record and effective special education programs provide a foundation for potential turnaround.