Prairie Park Elementary

Summary:

Prairie Park Elementary is a public elementary school in Lawrence, Kansas, serving 376 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. However, the school has consistently struggled with low academic performance, ranking in the bottom half of Prairie Park Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Kansas elementary schools, with only 26.84% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 24.86% in mathematics, significantly below the Lawrence district and state averages.

The school's challenges extend beyond overall academic performance, with various student subgroups, including female, male, white, multi-racial, low-income, and special education students, all ranking in the bottom half to bottom third of Kansas elementary schools. This suggests that Prairie Park Elementary is struggling to provide equitable educational opportunities, especially for its more disadvantaged students. Interestingly, nearby Langston Hughes Elementary, Deerfield Elementary, and Quail Run Elementary all rank significantly higher, in the top 25-30% of Kansas elementary schools, indicating a stark contrast within the Lawrence district.

The persistent low performance of Prairie Park Elementary, coupled with its high concentration of low-income students (55.85% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), suggests that the school and the district may need to implement more targeted interventions and support to address the underlying issues and improve educational outcomes for all students.


Detail:

Public K-5

 2711 Kensington Road
       Lawrence, KS  66046


(785) 832-5740

District: Lawrence

SchoolDigger Rank:
517th of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,322 Help


Students who attend Prairie Park Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Billy Mills Middle School
High:    Lawrence High

Student/teacher ratio:  15.0 Help
Number of students:  376

Racial breakdown:

White:
59.0%
Two or more races:
22.1%
Hispanic:
10.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  55.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Prairie Park Elementary ranks worse than 79.2% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks 10th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Lawrence School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 24.78. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (59%), two or more races (22.1%), Hispanic (10.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 55.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Prairie Park Elementary is 15, which is the 5th best among 11 elementary schools in the Lawrence School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Prairie Park Elementary employs 25 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Prairie Park Elementary is $11,322, which is the 5th highest among 11 elementary schools in the Lawrence School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Prairie Park Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Prairie Park Elementary 517th of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Prairie Park Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:


Lawrence:

SchoolDigger ranks Lawrence 101st of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Prairie Park Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 46.19 367th 585 37.3%
2007 41.94 439th 600 26.8%
2008 40.63 443rd 614 27.9%
2009 48.17 413th 621 33.5%
2010 57.59 323rd 630 48.7%
2011 40.80 466th 631 26.1%
2012 45.83 467th 660 29.2%
2013 58.43 349th 668 47.8%
2015 46.57 389th 678 42.6%
2016 40.06 427th 656 34.9%
2017 49.34 332nd 659 49.6%
2018 36.47 447th 656 31.9%
2019 38.93 422nd 667 36.7%
2021 25.72 535th 670 20.1%
2022 28.70 507th 668 24.1%
2023 26.75 511th 660 22.6%
2024 24.78 517th 653 20.8%
See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 20.31 25th 30 16.7%
2024 26.22 30th 41 26.8%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.68 119th 140 15.0%
2019 36.67 122nd 193 36.8%
2022 23.18 251st 305 17.7%
2024 35.19 192nd 306 37.3%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.27 449th 512 12.3%
2019 37.82 343rd 509 32.6%
2021 23.61 425th 494 14.0%
2022 49.02 258th 512 49.6%
2023 28.55 427th 541 21.1%
2024 27.67 446th 546 18.3%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.39 281st 574 51.0%
2019 43.02 349th 591 40.9%
2021 29.79 436th 591 26.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.68 119th 140 15.0%
2019 36.67 122nd 193 36.8%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.47 445th 575 22.6%
2019 37.75 382nd 586 34.8%
2021 25.46 480th 605 20.7%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Prairie Park Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.74 478th 574 16.7%
2019 31.61 451st 592 23.8%
2021 29.82 449th 587 23.5%
2022 19.65 526th 596 11.7%
2023 20.27 514th 584 12.0%
2024 21.75 495th 579 14.5%
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.

Prairie Park Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
0%

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100%

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Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Open Quote This school literally needs an upgrade all around. Teachers, Playground, PTA activities, Field Trip Ideas. There have been only 2 principals out of 4 principals that did a good job since 2018. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Prairie Park Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 255 34 5 9 19 n/a n/a 0 322
1996 255 34 5 9 19 n/a n/a 0 322
1997 266 40 8 7 23 n/a n/a 0 344
1998 290 47 8 11 23 n/a n/a 0 379
1999 325 45 8 14 25 n/a n/a 0 417
2000 320 48 9 13 26 n/a n/a 0 416
2001 342 49 6 12 27 n/a n/a 0 436
2002 305 64 10 13 26 n/a n/a 0 418
2003 305 64 10 13 26 n/a n/a 0 418
2004 314 69 12 17 25 n/a n/a 6 443
2005 307 53 12 12 17 n/a n/a 10 411
2006 279 57 13 18 14 n/a n/a 9 390
2007 278 62 10 10 20 n/a n/a 0 380
2008 291 73 10 16 20 n/a n/a 3 413
2009 287 67 9 15 23 n/a n/a 8 409
2010 282 42 2 28 26 0 45 0 425
2011 278 36 4 26 23 4 49 0 420
2012 229 38 5 18 17 2 35 0 344
2013 250 40 4 15 18 2 46 0 375
2014 255 26 4 23 19 1 41 0 369
2015 258 20 5 24 21 0 48 0 376
2016 248 24 4 17 9 0 51 0 353
2017 240 28 5 22 9 0 46 0 350
2018 238 30 6 30 10 0 53 0 367
2019 248 30 6 33 10 0 59 0 386
2020 246 24 7 33 11 0 58 0 379
2021 204 22 4 28 7 0 43 0 308
2022 239 25 2 41 7 1 65 0 380
2023 222 21 2 39 8 1 83 0 376

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 Prairie Park Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 322 19.0 16.9 25.2
1996 322 19.0 16.9 25.2
1997 344 21.4 16.1 15.7
1998 379 22.7 16.7 25.1
1999 417 27.0 15.4 25.7
2000 416 30.0 13.9 26.2
2001 436 30.0 14.5 26.4
2002 418 28.0 14.9 32.8
2003 418 28.0 14.9 32.8
2004 443 29.8 14.9 36.6
2005 411 32.0 12.8 31.4
2006 390 33.5 11.6 34.1
2007 380 30.2 12.6 32.9
2008 413 25.7 16.1 39.5
2009 409 27.7 14.8 41.1
2010 425 27.6 15.4 42.8
2011 420 25.9 16.2 44
2012 344 24.4 14.0 50.3
2013 375 n/a n/a 51.7
2014 369 26.5 13.9 47.4
2015 376 26.0 14.4 45.2
2016 353 26.0 13.5 46.2
2017 350 27.2 12.8 42
2018 367 27.5 13.3 46
2019 386 27.4 14.0 47.9
2020 379 28.7 13.1 43.5
2021 308 69.2 4.4 38.3
2022 380 28.5 13.3 45
2023 376 25.0 15.0 55.9

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 Prairie Park Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 322 19.0 16.9 25.2
1996 322 19.0 16.9 25.2
1997 344 21.4 16.1 15.7
1998 379 22.7 16.7 25.1
1999 417 27.0 15.4 25.7
2000 416 30.0 13.9 26.2
2001 436 30.0 14.5 26.4
2002 418 28.0 14.9 32.8
2003 418 28.0 14.9 32.8
2004 443 29.8 14.9 36.6
2005 411 32.0 12.8 31.4
2006 390 33.5 11.6 34.1
2007 380 30.2 12.6 32.9
2008 413 25.7 16.1 39.5
2009 409 27.7 14.8 41.1
2010 425 27.6 15.4 42.8
2011 420 25.9 16.2 44
2012 344 24.4 14.0 50.3
2013 375 n/a n/a 51.7
2014 369 26.5 13.9 47.4
2015 376 26.0 14.4 45.2
2016 353 26.0 13.5 46.2
2017 350 27.2 12.8 42
2018 367 27.5 13.3 46
2019 386 27.4 14.0 47.9
2020 379 28.7 13.1 43.5
2021 308 69.2 4.4 38.3
2022 380 28.5 13.3 45
2023 376 25.0 15.0 55.9

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 Prairie Park Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $604 (5.3%) $10,718 (94.7%) $11,322

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Prairie Park 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 422nd of 667 Elementary schoolsRanks 511th of 660 Elementary schools
 14.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Park Elementary)48.419
 29.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)47.945.2
 2.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)40.638.1
 2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Prairie Park Elementary)50.834.9
 15.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)52.757.5
 4.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)50.350.4
 0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Park Elementary)32.834.7
 2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)54.349.5
 4.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)47.642.8
 4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Prairie Park Elementary)1913.7
 5.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)40.737.2
 3.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)36.137.6
 1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Park Elementary)44.132
 12.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Lawrence)49.447.9
 1.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)43.539.6
 4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Prairie Park Elementary)20.320
 0.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Lawrence)38.834.9
 3.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.931.3
 0.6%
5th Grade Science (Prairie Park Elementary)3938.8
 0.2%
   5th Grade Science (Lawrence)4945.8
 3.1%
   5th Grade Science (Kansas)43.142.1
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students386376
 2.6%
African American3021
 30%
American Indian108
 20%
Asian62
 66.7%
Hispanic3339
 18.2%
Pacific Islander01
White248222
 10.5%
Two or More Races5983
 40.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients47.9%55.9%
 7.9%


Schools Near Prairie Park Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Prairie Park Elementary

Students who attend Prairie Park Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Billy Mills Middle School
High : Lawrence High

In the 2022-23 school year, 376 students attended Prairie Park Elementary.

Students at Prairie Park Elementary are 59% White, 22% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 6% African American, 2% American Indian.

Prairie Park Elementary ranks in the bottom 20.8% of Kansas elementary schools.


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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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