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Sunflower Elementary

Q: Is Sunflower Elementary a good school?

Sunflower Elementary ranks 216 th of 656 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

216^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 656 Kansas Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Kansas elementary schools

Summary

Sunflower Elementary is a public elementary school located in Paola, Kansas, serving grades 3-5 with a total enrollment of 379 students. The school is part of the Paola school district, which is ranked 65 out of 264 districts in Kansas and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sunflower Elementary consistently outperforms the Paola district and the state of Kansas in academic proficiency across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 61.92% of Sunflower Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 51.78% for the Paola district and 44.47% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in 5th grade, where 66.88% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 49.18% for the state. In mathematics, Sunflower Elementary had 45.42% of students proficient or better, outperforming the Paola district (43.05%) and the state (38.73%). The school also excels in science, with 54.41% of students proficient or better, compared to 50.82% for the Paola district and 41.44% for the state.

Sunflower Elementary has a strong track record of supporting various student subgroups, ranking highly for Hispanic, special education, and low socioeconomic status students. However, the school has seen a gradual increase in chronic absenteeism, from 8.0% in 2022-2023 to 19.5% in 2024-2025, which is an area the school may want to focus on. Compared to nearby schools, Sunflower Elementary's academic performance is generally stronger, but it faces competition from the top-performing Broadmoor Elementary in the Louisburg district.

373

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,947

Per pupil spending ?

40.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1401 E 303rd St
Paola, KS 66071

(913) 294-8040

District: Paola

Students who attend Sunflower Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Paola Middle
High:	Paola High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.6%

Hispanic:

7.0%

Two or more races:

5.4%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 36th percentile in 2015 → 67th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Kansas average (54% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Kansas median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school54%

District avg49%

Kansas avg42%

216^th of 656

Kansas public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 31 pts since 2015

From bottom 36% (2015) to top 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Kansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

65^th of 264Paola 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	65.4	216 of 656	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.6	176 of 653	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	73.7	135 of 660	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	56.6	270 of 668	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.3	145 of 670	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	189 of 667	71.7%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	188 of 656	71.3%	★★★★☆
2017	64.2	218 of 659	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.1	229 of 656	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	41.9	435 of 678	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	57.2	367 of 668	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.8	380 of 660	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.6	377 of 631	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.1	313 of 630	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	54.5	350 of 621	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.9	327 of 614	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	70.1	186 of 600	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2006	32.7	459 of 585	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	84.0	13 of 214	93.9%	★★★★★
2019	70.7	39 of 193	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	53.2	61 of 140	56.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	69.7	149 of 591	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	69.7	152 of 591	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	67.7	164 of 574	71.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	61.9	71 of 262	72.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	61.7	169 of 533	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.0	138 of 546	74.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.0	76 of 541	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	63.0	132 of 512	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	80.4	31 of 494	93.7%	★★★★★
2019	67.2	117 of 509	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	59.2	181 of 512	64.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2021	75.6	112 of 605	81.5%	★★★★☆
2019	63.5	180 of 586	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.6	175 of 575	69.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	66.3	71 of 313	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	82.3	28 of 306	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	79.4	30 of 296	89.9%	★★★★★
2022	66.6	76 of 305	75.1%	★★★★☆
2021	84.0	13 of 214	93.9%	★★★★★
2019	70.7	39 of 193	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	53.2	61 of 140	56.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Kansas percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	248 of 576	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.0	207 of 579	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.4	152 of 584	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	47.6	317 of 596	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	64.7	177 of 587	69.8%	★★★★☆
2019	58.0	223 of 592	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.5	217 of 574	62.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Disabled (2021)94th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2021)81st percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2025)77th percentile+10 vs school

Female (2021)75th percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)68th percentile~ school

White (2025)57th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Kansas (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts62%+17 vs state

Science54%+13 vs state

Mathematics45%+7 vs state

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Schools Near Sunflower 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
Sunflower Elementary	Public	3-5	1401 E 303rd St	Paola	66071	Miami County	Paola	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 294-8040	373	29	12.8	40.5%	323 (86.6%)	3 (0.8%)	26 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.4%)	65.4	216^th of 656 public elementary schools	67.1%		68.6	176^th of 653 public elementary schools	73.0%	40	59.0	58.3	66.9		61.9	37.1	53.3	44.9		45.4	54.4	54.4	$12,947	$3,272	$9,675
Cottonwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	709 N. Hedge Lane	Paola	66071	Miami County	Paola	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 294-8050	379	28	13.6	41.4%	325 (85.8%)	5 (1.3%)	27 (7.1%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.7%)								(n/a)													$14,992	$4,038	$10,954
Trojan Elementary	Public	1-5	1901 Parker Ave	Osawatomie	66064	Miami County	Osawatomie	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 755-4133	341	29	11.7	68.6%	282 (82.7%)	3 (0.9%)	22 (6.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (9.7%)	26.4	505^th of 656 public elementary schools	23.0%		29.2	487^th of 653 public elementary schools	25.4%	18	42.6	43.4	36.5		40.5	21.7	34.0	26.7		26.9	29.3	29.3	$16,036	$1,954	$14,082
Swenson Early Childhood Education Center	Public	PK, KG-2	1901 Parker Ave	Osawatomie	66064	Miami County	Osawatomie	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 755-3220	172	13	13.2	59.9%	147 (85.5%)	1 (0.6%)	11 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.6%)								(n/a)													$16,363	$2,282	$14,080
Broadmoor Elementary	Public	3-5	105 S 5th Street East	Louisburg	66053	Miami County	Louisburg	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 837-1900	388	24	16.4	23.2%	341 (87.9%)	2 (0.5%)	25 (6.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.6%)	87	58^th of 656 public elementary schools	91.2%		86.2	69^th of 653 public elementary schools	89.4%	11	69.8	62.1	69.0		67.0	72.3	68.5	73.6		71.5	61.2	61.2	$12,335	$1,178	$11,157
Kansas Virtual Academy (KSVA)	Public, Virtual	K-6	101 E South St	Spring Hill	66083	Miami County	Spring Hill	No	No	Yes	No	(913) 592-4600	584	18	32.4		290 (49.7%)	69 (11.8%)	121 (20.7%)	4 (0.7%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	93 (15.9%)	17.3	567^th of 656 public elementary schools	13.6%		24.9	515^th of 653 public elementary schools	21.1%	52	38.7	22.6	28.8	44.3	35.3	20.6	11.5	6.4	27.8	18.2	26.1	26.1	$5,361	$00	$5,361
Rockville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	977 N Rockville Road	Louisburg	66053	Miami County	Louisburg	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 837-1970	419	26	16.3	25.1%	374 (89.3%)	2 (0.5%)	32 (7.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)								(n/a)													$11,553	$1,153	$10,399
Spring Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 S Webster St	Spring Hill	66083	Johnson County	Spring Hill	No	No	No	Yes	(913) 592-7277	600	44	13.4	28.2%	458 (76.3%)	18 (3.0%)	69 (11.5%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.5%)	69.6	169^th of 656 public elementary schools	74.2%		56.4	274^th of 653 public elementary schools	58.0%	105	60.0	56.2	69.1		61.6	52.5	67.8	46.3		55.9	43.9	43.9	$14,818	$5,071	$9,748
Nike Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	19500 S. Gardner Road	Gardner	66030	Johnson County	Gardner Edgerton	No	No	No	No	(913) 856-3000	365	30	12.1	39.2%	267 (73.2%)	19 (5.2%)	37 (10.1%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.9%)	69.6	170^th of 656 public elementary schools	74.1%		80.3	105^th of 653 public elementary schools	83.9%	65	52.5	64.9			59.4	55.7	51.9			53.6			$14,506	$868	$13,638
Wolf Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	19250 Ridgeview Road	Spring Hill	66083	Johnson County	Spring Hill	No	No	No	No	(913) 592-7233	336	26	13.1	13.4%	279 (83.0%)	7 (2.1%)	26 (7.7%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.7%)	80.3	108^th of 656 public elementary schools	83.5%		73.4	130^th of 653 public elementary schools	80.1%	22	53.5	66.7	69.8		64.0	62.8	64.8	59.3		62.2	63.0	63.0	$13,893	$2,732	$11,161

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunflower Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Sunflower Elementary?

Students at Sunflower Elementary are 87% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Sunflower Elementary in?

Paola

Is Sunflower Elementary a good school?

Sunflower Elementary ranks 216^th of 656 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Sunflower Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sunflower Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Paola Middle
High : Paola High

How many students attend Sunflower Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 373 students attended Sunflower Elementary.

Rate Sunflower Elementary!

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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.