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Hill City Elementary

Q: Is Hill City Elementary a good school?

Hill City Elementary ranks 194 th of 656 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

194^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 656 Kansas Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of Kansas elementary schools

Summary

Hill City Elementary is a public elementary school in Hill City, Kansas, serving 213 students in grades PK-6 and part of the Graham County School District. Despite having a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, the school has shown steady improvement in its academic performance, consistently outperforming state and county averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics, particularly in the lower grades.

Hill City Elementary's strong performance is noteworthy, as the school ranks in the top third of Kansas elementary schools and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for its exceptional outcomes for low-income students. However, the school has also experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, which is an area that requires further investigation and targeted interventions. Additionally, the school's data reveals some gender-based disparities in student achievement, suggesting the need for tailored support to ensure all students reach their full potential.

Interestingly, when compared to the nearby Damar Elementary School, Hill City Elementary demonstrates stronger academic performance, particularly in Mathematics, despite having a similar student-teacher ratio and lower per-student spending. Exploring the differences in instructional practices and resource allocation between the two schools could provide valuable insights to help improve student outcomes across the region.

212

Students ?

10.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,733

Per pupil spending ?

66.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

216 N 4th Ave
Hill City, KS 67642

(785) 421-3425

District: Graham County

Students who attend Hill City Elementary usually attend:

High:

Hill City Junior-Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.3%

Two or more races:

7.1%

Hispanic:

5.7%

See top rated Kansas elementary schools

Compare Hill City Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 23rd percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Kansas average (52% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 47 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Kansas median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg42%

Kansas avg42%

194^th of 656

Kansas public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 47 pts since 2015

From bottom 23% (2015) to top 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

161^st of 264Graham County 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	67.0	194 of 656	70.4%	★★★★☆
2024	56.2	276 of 653	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.5	397 of 660	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.6	527 of 668	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	534 of 670	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.1	484 of 667	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.4	586 of 656	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	32.9	474 of 659	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.3	467 of 656	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.0	520 of 678	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	60.7	321 of 668	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.8	398 of 660	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.9	325 of 631	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	75.9	102 of 630	83.8%	★★★★☆
2009	75.7	99 of 621	84.1%	★★★★☆
2008	62.9	268 of 614	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	65.3	233 of 600	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	75.1	117 of 585	80.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	29.2	438 of 591	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.8	533 of 591	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.7	520 of 574	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	85.5	29 of 533	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	73.5	83 of 546	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	61.3	176 of 541	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	35.6	370 of 512	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.7	339 of 494	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.7	173 of 509	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	23.8	435 of 512	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	28.2	466 of 605	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.1	349 of 586	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	16.0	506 of 575	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	271 of 576	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.2	347 of 579	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.7	442 of 584	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.8	528 of 596	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.9	540 of 587	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	27.4	477 of 592	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	7.9	560 of 574	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)95th percentile+24 vs school

White (2025)53rd percentile-17 vs school

Female (2021)26th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2021)23rd percentile+3 vs school

By subject vs Kansas (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts59%+14 vs state

Mathematics52%+13 vs state

Science45%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hill City 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
Hill City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	216 N 4th Ave	Hill City	67642	Graham County	Graham County	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 421-3425	212	20	10.6	66.5%	183 (86.3%)	2 (0.9%)	12 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (7.1%)	67	194^th of 656 public elementary schools	70.4%		56.2	276^th of 653 public elementary schools	57.7%	82	64.3	66.7	55.0	50.0	58.7	67.8	50.0	40.0	46.9	51.9	45.0	45.0	$18,733	$400	$18,333
Damar Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	402 3rd Street	Damar	67632	Rooks County	Palco	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 839-4265	46	6	8.1	41.3%	45 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.2%)								(n/a)					56.3					31.3			$25,595	$907	$24,687

Frequently Asked Questions about Hill City Elementary

What schools do graduates of Hill City Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hill City Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Hill City Junior-Senior High

What district is Hill City Elementary in?

Graham County

Is Hill City Elementary a good school?

Hill City Elementary ranks 194^th of 656 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Hill City Elementary?

Students at Hill City Elementary are 86% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

How many students attend Hill City Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 212 students attended Hill City Elementary.

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Schools in Hill City, KS

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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.