Plum Creek Elementary

Q: Is Plum Creek Elementary a good school?

Plum Creek Elementary ranks 339 th of 653 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Plum Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Hutchinson, Kansas, serving 467 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Buhler School District, which is ranked 84 out of 266 districts in the state.

Plum Creek Elementary has shown a mixed performance in academic assessments compared to the Buhler district and the state of Kansas. The school excels in mathematics, with higher proficiency rates than the district and state, particularly in 3rd grade. However, Plum Creek Elementary lags behind in English Language Arts (ELA), with lower proficiency rates than the district and state. The school's performance in science is stronger than the district and state. Disparities in performance exist among different student subgroups, with female students outperforming male students in ELA and Hispanic students performing better than their White counterparts.

Compared to nearby schools, Plum Creek Elementary generally outperforms the Nickerson Elementary, South Hutchinson Elementary, Wiley Elementary, Faris Elementary, and McCandless Elementary schools, which are part of the Hutchinson Public Schools district. However, Buhler Grade School, another school in the Buhler district, has consistently outperformed Plum Creek Elementary in academic assessments.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

901 East 43rd Avenue
Hutchinson, KS 67502

(620) 662-5535

District: Buhler

SchoolDigger Rank:
339^th of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,937

Students who attend Plum Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Prairie Hills Middle
High:	Buhler High

Student/teacher ratio: 18.9

Number of students: 467

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.4%

Hispanic:

10.7%

Two or more races:

0.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Plum Creek Elementary ranks worse than 51.9% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Buhler School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.98. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Plum Creek Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Buhler School District. Racial makeup is: White (87.4%), Hispanic (10.7%), two or more races (0.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 32.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Buhler School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Plum Creek Elementary is 18.9, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Buhler School District! (See more...)

Compare Plum Creek Elementary employs 24.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Plum Creek Elementary is $9,937. 1 elementary schools in the Buhler School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Plum Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Plum Creek Elementary 339^th of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Plum Creek Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Buhler:

SchoolDigger ranks Buhler 84^th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Plum Creek Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2017	69.20	169^th	659	74.4%
2018	54.98	297^th	656	54.7%
2019	48.65	347^th	667	48.0%
2021	62.87	229^th	670	65.8%
2022	68.53	173^rd	668	74.1%
2023	55.25	282^nd	660	57.3%
2024	48.98	339^th	653	48.1%

See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2019	53.91	70^th	193	63.7%
2021	58.68	67^th	214	68.7%
2023	68.07	63^rd	296	78.7%
2024	57.01	111^th	306	63.7%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	55.91	205^th	512	60.0%
2019	50.34	242^nd	509	52.5%
2021	63.86	137^th	494	72.3%
2022	69.71	92^nd	512	82.0%
2023	41.96	330^th	541	39.0%
2024	46.71	283^rd	546	48.2%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	60.39	219^th	574	61.8%
2019	55.56	259^th	591	56.2%
2021	69.39	150^th	591	74.6%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	53.91	70^th	193	63.7%
2021	58.68	67^th	214	68.7%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	49.81	286^th	575	50.3%
2019	42.54	344^th	586	41.3%
2021	52.68	277^th	605	54.2%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	60.33	79^th	260	69.6%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	45.11	339^th	574	40.9%
2019	39.37	375^th	592	36.7%
2021	53.03	270^th	587	54.0%
2022	61.47	192^nd	596	67.8%
2023	42.41	354^th	584	39.4%
2024	38.87	381^st	579	34.2%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kansas State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, January 19, 2021

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Enrollment information for Plum Creek Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	385	10	6	10	1	1	17	430
2016	400	11	7	22	2	1	18	461
2017	400	11	9	24	2	2	16	464
2018	393	10	7	31	3	2	21	467
2019	371	6	3	37	3	2	16	438
2020	390	7	1	33	4	3	12	450
2021	372	6	1	33	3	3	5	423
2022	391	3	1	24	2	3	4	428
2023	408	2	0	50	1	2	4	467

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Plum Creek Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	430	25.0	17.2	37
2016	461	24.0	19.2	37.7
2017	464	25.1	18.4	35.6
2018	467	22.1	21.1	33.4
2019	438	22.3	19.6	34.7
2020	450	22.8	19.7	32.4
2021	423	22.8	18.5	34.8
2022	428	23.8	17.9	33.9
2023	467	24.6	18.9	32.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Plum Creek Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	430	25.0	17.2	37
2016	461	24.0	19.2	37.7
2017	464	25.1	18.4	35.6
2018	467	22.1	21.1	33.4
2019	438	22.3	19.6	34.7
2020	450	22.8	19.7	32.4
2021	423	22.8	18.5	34.8
2022	428	23.8	17.9	33.9
2023	467	24.6	18.9	32.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Plum Creek Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$564 (5.7%)	$9,373 (94.3%)	$9,937

Data source: Kansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Plum Creek Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 347^th of 667 Elementary schools	Ranks 282^nd of 660 Elementary schools	9.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Plum Creek Elementary)	34.3	46.3	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Buhler)	42.6	45.1	2.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	40.6	38.1	2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Plum Creek Elementary)	44.3	68.7	24.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Buhler)	54.4	61.7	7.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	50.3	50.4	0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Plum Creek Elementary)	44.6	40.3	4.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Buhler)	41.4	38.5	2.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	47.6	42.8	4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Plum Creek Elementary)	27	35.8	8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Buhler)	20.2	35.8	15.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	36.1	37.6	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Plum Creek Elementary)	46.5	32.9	13.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Buhler)	43.7	37.2	6.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	43.5	39.6	4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Plum Creek Elementary)	43.7	34.2	9.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Buhler)	41.9	35.7	6.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	31.9	31.3	0.6%
5th Grade Science (Plum Creek Elementary)	47.9	41.1	6.8%
5th Grade Science (Buhler)	47.9	47.9	0%
5th Grade Science (Kansas)	43.1	42.1	1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	438	467	6.6%
African American	6	2	66.7%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	3	0	100%
Hispanic	37	50	35.1%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	371	408	10%
Two or More Races	16	4	75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	34.7%	32.8%	1.9%

Schools Near Plum Creek Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KAP English Language Arts (2024)					KAP Mathematics (2024)					KAP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
Plum Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	901 East 43rd Avenue	Hutchinson	67502	Reno County	Buhler	No	No	No	No	(620) 662-5535	467	25	18.9	32.8%	408 (87.4%)	2 (0.4%)	50 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.9%)	49	339^th of 653 public elementary schools	48.1%		55.2	282^nd of 660 public elementary schools	57.3%	57	31.3	50.7	32.0		37.9	67.2	40.6	24.0		43.1	36.5	36.5	$9,937	$564	$9,373
Morgan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	100 W 27th	Hutchinson	67502	Reno County	Hutchinson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 615-5200	395	31	12.7	57.2%	279 (70.6%)	5 (1.3%)	78 (19.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.6%)	24.1	522^nd of 653 public elementary schools	20.1%		29.6	492^nd of 660 public elementary schools	25.5%	30	18.2	32.6	27.1	25.0	25.4	30.4	26.1	18.8	21.5	24.2	31.2	31.2	$9,616	$2,329	$7,287
Union Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2501 E 30th	Hutchinson	67502	Reno County	Buhler	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 662-4891	452	24	18.7	41.2%	394 (87.2%)	4 (0.9%)	50 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	56.6	273^rd of 653 public elementary schools	58.2%		57.2	264^th of 660 public elementary schools	60.0%	9	50.9	32.9	39.7		40.5	70.2	32.9	41.3		46.8	41.3	41.3	$9,900	$842	$9,057
Graber Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1600 N Cleveland	Hutchinson	67501	Reno County	Hutchinson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 615-5050	267	21	12.4	68.5%	150 (56.2%)	17 (6.4%)	62 (23.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (13.1%)	20.2	545^th of 653 public elementary schools	16.5%		24.2	530^th of 660 public elementary schools	19.7%	15	24.2	22.5	29.7	6.7	20.0	55.9	12.5	11.8	10.9	21.4	25.0	25.0	$10,047	$2,911	$7,136
Wiley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	900 W 21st	Hutchinson	67502	Reno County	Hutchinson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 615-5250	285	20	14.3	61.1%	209 (73.3%)	7 (2.5%)	42 (14.7%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.8%)	21.6	536^th of 653 public elementary schools	17.9%		16.5	573^rd of 660 public elementary schools	13.2%	37	25.0	23.4	31.9	32.6	28.2	15.9	6.4	18.8	15.9	14.2	31.2	31.2	$9,237	$2,696	$6,541
Faris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	301 East 10th	Hutchinson	67501	Reno County	Hutchinson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 615-5000	274	23	11.6	91.2%	164 (59.9%)	16 (5.8%)	74 (27.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.2%)	10.8	599^th of 653 public elementary schools	8.3%		9.9	615^th of 660 public elementary schools	6.8%	16	11.5	28.2	10.0	18.5	17.2	23.1	17.1	7.5	3.6	12.4	20.0	20.0	$13,335	$3,913	$9,422
McCandless Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	700 N Baker	Hutchinson	67501	Reno County	Hutchinson Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 615-5150	206	18	11.2	93.2%	128 (62.1%)	8 (3.9%)	57 (27.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.8%)	14.3	580^th of 653 public elementary schools	11.2%		8.5	629^th of 660 public elementary schools	4.7%	49	13.7	26.9	16.7	8.7	16.7	39.2	11.8	12.7	17.4	20.2	20.0	20.0	$12,623	$3,553	$9,069
Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen	Public, Magnet	K-6	403 West 10th	Hutchinson	67501	Reno County	Hutchinson Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(620) 615-4900	264	19	14.0	61.4%	137 (51.9%)	7 (2.7%)	85 (32.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	31 (11.7%)	29.3	486^th of 653 public elementary schools	25.6%		27.5	505^th of 660 public elementary schools	23.5%	19	15.4	43.7	22.5	38.1	30.7	29.6	34.4	17.1	18.6	23.8	26.8	26.8	$9,434	$1,844	$7,590
South Hutchinson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	405 South Poplar	South Hutchinson	67505	Reno County	Nickerson	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 665-8441	331	27	12.2	65.6%	275 (83.1%)	8 (2.4%)	36 (10.9%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)	26.2	507^th of 653 public elementary schools	22.4%		33.4	468^th of 660 public elementary schools	29.1%	39	40.0	42.5	16.3	14.9	27.3	42.9	22.5	15.6	14.6	22.6	24.4	24.4	$10,546	$1,042	$9,504
Buhler Grade School	Public	PK, KG-5	808 N Main	Buhler	67522	Reno County	Buhler	No	No	No	Yes	(620) 543-2240	257	17	15.5	49.0%	207 (80.5%)	7 (2.7%)	39 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	72.9	134^th of 653 public elementary schools	79.5%		70	163^rd of 660 public elementary schools	75.3%	29	44.4	47.2	52.5		48.5	74.1	38.9	47.5		51.4	62.5	62.5	$9,959	$1,049	$8,910

Frequently Asked Questions about Plum Creek Elementary

How many students attend Plum Creek Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 467 students attended Plum Creek Elementary.

Is Plum Creek Elementary a good school?

Plum Creek Elementary ranks 339^th of 653 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Plum Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Plum Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Prairie Hills Middle
High : Buhler High

What is the racial makeup of Plum Creek Elementary?

Students at Plum Creek Elementary are 87% White, 11% Hispanic.

What district is Plum Creek Elementary in?

Buhler

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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.