Summary:
Zip code 67349 has two alternative schools in the West Elk district: West Elk Schools, serving pre-K through grade 12 and enrolling 371 students, and West Elk Virtual Academy, serving kindergarten through grade 12 and enrolling 226. The biggest difference for families is that the two schools have sharply different overall test results: in 2025–26, West Elk Schools led by 20 points in ELA, 25 in math, and 19 in science.
West Elk Schools stands out at the top overall, with 46% proficiency in ELA, 37% in math, and 34% in science. Its ELA result was about the state rate of 46%, while its math and science results were below state rates of 41% and 38%. Its fifth-grade results were a particular bright spot: 65% in ELA, 55% in math, and 60% in science, all above state results. West Elk Virtual Academy is at the bottom overall, with 26% in ELA, 12% in math, and 15% in science, each below the state. It does have an exception: eighth-grade ELA was 43%, just above the state’s 42%. Other measures also differ: chronic absenteeism was 17% at West Elk Schools and 53% at the Virtual Academy; 2023–24 graduation rates were 100% and 50%, respectively. Student–teacher ratios were 10.8 and 57.9.
Recent changes are mixed, and the schools have moved in different directions. From 2024–25 to 2025–26, West Elk Schools improved by 5 points in ELA and 3 in math, but fell by 4 in science. The Virtual Academy fell by 3 points in ELA, was nearly unchanged in math, and improved by 1 point in science. Across the two schools, the equal-weighted average rose by 1 point in ELA and 2 in math, while science fell by 2; math was the largest shared shortfall against the state. Grade-level results and schoolwide figures offer different perspectives, and the available data does not show why the schools’ outcomes differ.
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