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Paola High

Public Grades 9-12
37th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 340 Kansas High Schools
Better than 89% of Kansas high schools
Summary

Paola High serves 567 students in grades 9–12 in Paola, Kansas. In 2025–26, students were proficient at higher rates than the state average in English language arts (ELA), math and science. The school’s clearest strength is ELA and science, while math is less strong compared with local schools. The most important finding is that Paola now exceeds the state in all three tested subjects: 59% in ELA, 45% in math and 50% in science, versus state rates of 46%, 41% and 38%.

Compared with seven nearby conventional high schools, Paola ranked second of eight in ELA and science, and fourth of eight in math. Its ELA and science results were 11 points above the nearby-school averages of 48% and 39%; its math result was 2 points below the nearby average of 47%. Paola was also above the Paola district in ELA (59% versus 56%), but below it in math (45% versus 49%) and science (50% versus 52%). Math is still above the state, but it is the clearest area for improvement relative to the district and nearby schools.

Results have climbed substantially: from 2022–23 to 2025–26, ELA rose from 22% to 59% proficient and math from 16% to 45%, moving both subjects from below the state to above it. SchoolDigger’s statewide rating rose to 4 stars and the 89th percentile in 2025–26, up from the 61st percentile the year before; its rank was 37th of 340 schools. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings are especially strong for students receiving special education: the group ranked at the 98th percentile statewide, 3rd of 127 schools, compared with Paola’s overall 89th percentile. The student-teacher ratio is 14.1, and 31% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, close to the nearby-school average of 29%; these are context, not explanations for results. Graduation was 98% in 2023–24, while chronic absenteeism was 17% in 2025–26, 4 points above the district’s 13%.

567
Students ?
14.1
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,943
Per pupil spending ?
31.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 401 N Angela
       Paola, KS  66071

(913) 294-8010

District: Paola


Feeder schools for Paola High:

Elementary:    Cottonwood Elementary
    Sunflower Elementary
Middle:    Paola Middle
Racial breakdown:

White:
88.4%
Hispanic:
7.2%
Two or more races:
2.6%
more
 See top rated Kansas high schools

 Compare Paola High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 89th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the Kansas average (51% vs 42% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 11% of Kansas high schools
✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Kansas average (90%)
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school51%
District avg52%
Kansas avg42%
37th of 340
Kansas public high schools ?
Top 11%▲ up 37 pts since 2016
From top 48% (2016) to top 11% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Kansas High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
20th of 268Paola 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202684.237 of 34089.1%★★★★☆
202556.5129 of 33261.1%★★★☆☆
202457.1117 of 31863.2%★★★☆☆
202346.6173 of 32747.1%★★☆☆☆
202240.5203 of 32437.3%★★☆☆☆
202141.5202 of 32036.9%★★☆☆☆
201950.3155 of 32552.3%★★★☆☆
201847.2161 of 31448.7%★★☆☆☆
201737.6193 of 31638.9%★★☆☆☆
201651.7151 of 31351.8%★★★☆☆
201556.4142 of 32656.4%★★★☆☆
201357.6156 of 32351.7%★★★☆☆
201261.4144 of 31754.6%★★★☆☆
201174.461 of 29879.5%★★★★☆
201079.836 of 30288.1%★★★★☆
200968.390 of 29169.1%★★★☆☆
200850.9156 of 26741.6%★★☆☆☆
200749.3149 of 28046.8%★★☆☆☆
200669.569 of 26273.7%★★★★☆

Disabled

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202136.170 of 11539.1%★★☆☆☆
201963.116 of 11185.6%★★★★☆
201878.812 of 11089.1%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202677.749 of 27081.9%★★★★☆
202142.1150 of 25040.0%★★☆☆☆
201957.0100 of 24959.8%★★★☆☆
201846.7133 of 24846.4%★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202589.212 of 10688.7%★★★★☆
202369.119 of 11082.7%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202678.524 of 23889.9%★★★★★
202553.5103 of 24658.1%★★★☆☆
202472.037 of 24985.1%★★★★☆
202350.2117 of 25053.2%★★★☆☆
202237.5153 of 22331.4%★★☆☆☆
202164.849 of 21377.0%★★★★☆
201956.480 of 22965.1%★★★☆☆
201853.6100 of 22856.1%★★★☆☆

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202683.630 of 27289.0%★★★★☆
202140.0159 of 25838.4%★★☆☆☆
201939.4163 of 25235.3%★★☆☆☆
201845.3133 of 24846.4%★★☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202694.83 of 12797.6%★★★★★
202596.95 of 12596.0%★★★★★
202480.213 of 12489.5%★★★★★
202392.44 of 12296.7%★★★★★
202136.170 of 11539.1%★★☆☆☆
201963.116 of 11185.6%★★★★☆
201878.812 of 11089.1%★★★★☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankKansas percentileRating
202679.244 of 31586.0%★★★★☆
202549.1149 of 30651.3%★★★☆☆
202449.9134 of 29554.6%★★★☆☆
202339.5192 of 30937.9%★★☆☆☆
202230.6238 of 30722.5%★☆☆☆☆
202131.7235 of 30222.2%★☆☆☆☆
201943.1176 of 30642.5%★★☆☆☆
201844.6159 of 29646.3%★★☆☆☆
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 (2026)98th percentile+9 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile~ school
Male (2026)89th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2025)89th percentile+28 vs school
White (2026)86th percentile-3 vs school
Female (2026)82nd percentile-7 vs school
Disabled (2021)39th percentile~ school
By subject vs Kansas (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts59%+13 vs state
Science50%+12 vs state
Mathematics45%+4 vs state

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Schools Near Paola High

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Frequently Asked Questions about Paola High

Students at Paola High are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Paola High ranks 37th of 340 Kansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Paola High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cottonwood Elementary
Elementary : Sunflower Elementary
Middle : Paola Middle

In the 2024-25 school year, 567 students attended Paola High.

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Latest Kansas data All new data »
2025–26 attendance dataNewOct 13, 2026
2025–26 KAP test scoresNewOct 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.

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