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West Elk Schools

Summary:

West Elk Schools is an alternative public school located in Howard, Kansas, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 378 students. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11.1 students per teacher, it consistently underperforms the state average in proficiency rates across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science for all grade levels.

For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rate in ELA for 10th grade was 10%, compared to the state average of 27.57%. Similarly, the school's proficiency rate in Math for 10th grade was 23.33%, compared to the state average of 21.31%. Additionally, West Elk Schools has a significantly higher percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (55.56% in 2022-2023) compared to the state average.

Interestingly, the West Elk Virtual Academy, a public virtual school within the same district, has a much lower free and reduced lunch rate (1.73% in 2022-2023) and a significantly higher student-teacher ratio of 24.3 in 2022-2023. This suggests that the demographics and resource allocation between the two schools within the same district may be quite different. Furthermore, West Elk Schools has seen a decline in test scores across multiple subjects and grade levels over the past few years, with proficiency rates dropping in many areas, despite the school's relatively high spending of $13,861 per student in the 2018-2019 school year.


Detail:

Public, Alternative PK, KG-12

 1199 State Highway 99
       Howard, KS  67349

(620) 374-2147

District: West Elk

SchoolDigger Rank:
291st of 653 Kansas Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,861 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  11.1 Help
Number of students:  378

Racial breakdown:

White:
87.6%
Hispanic:
5.3%
Two or more races:
4.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  55.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details West Elk Schools ranks better than 55.4% of elementary schools in Kansas. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.89. (See more...)
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Compare Details West Elk Schools ranks worse than 60.2% of middle schools in Kansas. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 38.03. (See more...)
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Compare Details West Elk Schools ranks worse than 54.1% of high schools in Kansas. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.9. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (87.6%), Hispanic (5.3%), two or more races (4.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 55.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Elk Schools is 11.1. (See more...)
Help
Compare West Elk Schools employs 33.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Elk Schools is $13,861.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Elk Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks West Elk Schools 291st of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See West Elk Schools in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks West Elk Schools 218th of 362 Kansas public middle schools. (See West Elk Schools in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks West Elk Schools 172nd of 318 Kansas public high schools. (See West Elk Schools in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:




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Your rating for West Elk Schools?

Rank History for West Elk Schools

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Compare

Rank History for all elementary school students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 75.52 93rd 660 85.9%
2013 72.43 170th 668 74.6%
2015 1.44 677th 678 0.1%
2016 45.40 374th 656 43.0%
2017 48.73 339th 659 48.6%
2018 56.99 275th 656 58.1%
2019 55.42 281st 667 57.9%
2021 44.75 379th 670 43.4%
2022 43.57 388th 668 41.9%
2023 34.50 458th 660 30.6%
2024 53.89 291st 653 55.4%
See the entire list of Kansas Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 76.10 43rd 306 85.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 69.42 98th 512 80.9%
2019 74.74 58th 509 88.6%
2021 52.79 215th 494 56.5%
2022 59.74 161st 512 68.6%
2023 46.79 286th 541 47.1%
2024 55.10 227th 546 58.4%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.67 403rd 574 29.8%
2019 47.56 321st 591 45.7%
2021 40.61 367th 591 37.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.57 151st 575 73.7%
2019 64.60 170th 586 71.0%
2021 47.41 315th 605 47.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.69 284th 574 50.5%
2019 46.47 321st 592 45.8%
2021 32.21 432nd 587 26.4%
2022 32.55 446th 596 25.2%
2023 25.36 479th 584 18.0%
2024 45.53 319th 579 44.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for West Elk Schools

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Rank History for all middle school students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 74.78 44th 342 87.1%
2013 76.75 46th 355 87.0%
2015 2.48 368th 368 0.0%
2016 46.38 172nd 343 49.9%
2017 68.52 71st 358 80.2%
2018 48.36 166th 350 52.6%
2019 74.46 58th 368 84.2%
2021 38.85 229th 367 37.6%
2022 41.29 204th 368 44.6%
2023 19.27 318th 362 12.2%
2024 38.03 218th 362 39.8%
See the entire list of Kansas Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 87.53 11th 171 93.6%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.66 110th 255 56.9%
2019 78.64 16th 270 94.1%
2021 53.82 104th 275 62.2%
2022 52.31 99th 270 63.3%
2023 27.41 254th 300 15.3%
2024 50.62 116th 296 60.8%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.51 151st 275 45.1%
2019 64.66 78th 294 73.5%
2021 47.15 147th 313 53.0%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.78 101st 280 63.9%
2019 77.57 44th 301 85.4%
2021 36.15 212th 308 31.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 46.18 164th 333 50.8%
2019 71.12 65th 344 81.1%
2021 33.46 242nd 349 30.7%
2022 36.47 230th 349 34.1%
2023 17.38 317th 349 9.2%
2024 29.31 263rd 347 24.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for West Elk Schools

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Rank History for all high school students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 48.08 222nd 317 30.0%
2013 76.09 44th 323 86.4%
2015 2.01 325th 326 0.3%
2016 34.88 208th 313 33.5%
2017 16.28 276th 316 12.7%
2018 71.78 63rd 314 79.9%
2019 62.56 100th 325 69.2%
2021 60.06 114th 320 64.4%
2022 52.94 148th 324 54.3%
2023 66.91 86th 327 73.7%
2024 46.90 172nd 318 45.9%
See the entire list of Kansas Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 45.64 46th 117 60.7%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.74 15th 228 93.4%
2019 91.36 7th 229 96.9%
2021 37.26 139th 213 34.7%
2022 49.75 105th 223 52.9%
2023 62.78 65th 250 74.0%
2024 61.12 70th 249 71.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 49.21 125th 249 49.8%
2021 64.22 74th 250 70.4%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.54 143rd 248 42.3%
2021 50.06 122nd 258 52.7%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school White students at West Elk Schools

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.64 130th 296 56.1%
2019 58.76 106th 306 65.4%
2021 56.20 110th 302 63.6%
2022 39.75 196th 307 36.2%
2023 59.98 107th 309 65.4%
2024 39.30 194th 295 34.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Alternative 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.

West Elk Schools Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for West Elk Schools

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2011 306 5 0 19 3 3 3 0 339
2012 302 5 0 18 4 3 3 0 335
2013 269 1 2 45 4 0 3 0 324
2014 290 2 0 36 2 0 10 0 340
2015 270 3 0 35 5 0 33 0 346
2016 305 3 0 40 5 1 14 0 368
2017 300 2 2 43 5 1 10 0 363
2018 307 3 2 44 6 0 11 0 373
2019 313 1 1 39 6 0 13 0 373
2020 361 0 1 2 12 0 21 0 397
2021 357 1 1 1 9 0 17 0 386
2022 360 0 1 4 10 0 11 0 386
2023 331 1 1 20 8 0 17 0 378

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 West Elk Schools

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2011 339 28.2 12.0 55.5
2012 335 35.1 9.5 56.1
2013 324 31.5 10.2 54
2014 340 35.5 9.5 56.2
2015 346 36.0 9.6 55.5
2016 368 34.0 10.8 60.6
2017 363 37.5 9.6 59
2018 373 36.9 10.1 62.7
2019 373 35.9 10.3 60.3
2020 397 35.9 11.0 58.2
2021 386 35.9 10.7 57.5
2022 386 35.9 10.7 65.5
2023 378 33.9 11.1 55.6

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 West Elk Schools

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2011 339 28.2 12.0 55.5
2012 335 35.1 9.5 56.1
2013 324 31.5 10.2 54
2014 340 35.5 9.5 56.2
2015 346 36.0 9.6 55.5
2016 368 34.0 10.8 60.6
2017 363 37.5 9.6 59
2018 373 36.9 10.1 62.7
2019 373 35.9 10.3 60.3
2020 397 35.9 11.0 58.2
2021 386 35.9 10.7 57.5
2022 386 35.9 10.7 65.5
2023 378 33.9 11.1 55.6

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 West Elk Schools

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,788 (12.9%) $12,073 (87.1%) $13,861

Data source: Kansas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Elk Schools

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 281st of 667 Elementary schoolsRanks 458th of 660 Elementary schools
 27.3%
Ranks 58th of 368 Middle schoolsRanks 318th of 362 Middle schools
 72.1%
Ranks 100th of 325 High schoolsRanks 86th of 327 High schools
 4.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)34.840.9
 6.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)34.836
 1.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)40.638.1
 2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)47.850
 2.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (West Elk)47.844
 3.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)50.350.4
 0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)47.820.7
 27.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)47.824.3
 23.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)47.642.8
 4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)34.827.6
 7.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (West Elk)34.827
 7.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)36.137.6
 1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)41.936.4
 5.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)41.930
 11.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)43.539.6
 4%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)43.327.3
 16.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (West Elk)43.320
 23.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.931.3
 0.6%
5th Grade Science (West Elk Schools)4018.2
 21.8%
   5th Grade Science (West Elk)4016.7
 23.3%
   5th Grade Science (Kansas)43.142.1
 1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)56.326.9
 29.3%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)56.324.3
 31.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)38.433.7
 4.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)43.723.1
 20.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (West Elk)43.718.9
 24.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.929.9
 2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)2525
   7th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)2520.6
 4.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)31.831.7
 0%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)32.18.3
 23.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (West Elk)32.15.9
 26.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)27.927.5
 0.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)34.58.3
 26.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)34.58.3
 26.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)25.220.8
 4.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)44.84.2
 40.7%
   8th Grade Mathematics (West Elk)44.85.6
 39.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)25.922.8
 3.1%
8th Grade Science (West Elk Schools)51.70
 51.7%
   8th Grade Science (West Elk)51.72.8
 48.9%
   8th Grade Science (Kansas)30.722.7
 8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk Schools)38.530
 8.5%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (West Elk)38.528.6
 9.9%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)28.526.7
 1.7%
10th Grade Mathematics (West Elk Schools)30.843.3
 12.6%
   10th Grade Mathematics (West Elk)30.830.9
 0.2%
   10th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)24.521
 3.5%
11th Grade Science (West Elk Schools)26.125.9
 0.1%
   11th Grade Science (West Elk)26.122.2
 3.9%
   11th Grade Science (Kansas)32.428.9
 3.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students373378
 1.3%
African American11
American Indian68
 33.3%
Asian11
Hispanic3920
 48.7%
Pacific Islander00
White313331
 5.8%
Two or More Races1317
 30.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients60.3%55.6%
 4.8%

Schools Near West Elk Schools








Frequently Asked Questions about West Elk Schools

In the 2022-23 school year, 378 students attended West Elk Schools.

West Elk Schools ranks 291st of 653 Kansas alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at West Elk Schools are 88% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.


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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.




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