Is Paola High a good school?

Paola High ranks 117 th of 318 Kansas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Paola High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 589 students attended Paola High.

What is the racial makeup of Paola High?

Students at Paola High are 89% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Paola High?

Paola High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Cottonwood Elementary Elementary : Sunflower Elementary Middle : Paola Middle

Paola High

Summary:

Paola High is a public high school located in Paola, Kansas, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 558 students. The school is part of the Paola District, which is ranked 47 out of 266 districts in Kansas and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Paola High has consistently ranked in the middle to lower range of Kansas high schools, with a ranking between 117 and 203 out of 318-327 schools over the past several years. The school's performance on state assessments (KAP) is mixed compared to the state average, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (33.77%) and Mathematics (17.56%) slightly above the state averages, but a higher proficiency rate in Science (32.8%) than the state average (27.37%). Paola High has shown strong performance for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students, Special Education students, and Low Socioeconomic Status students, ranking among the top schools in the state for these populations. However, the school's performance for other subgroups, such as White students and Disabled students, has been more average or below average compared to the state.

Paola High's relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 25.31% to 28.85% over the past few years, is higher than the state average and indicates a significant population of economically disadvantaged students at the school. The school's spending per student in the 2018-2019 school year was $11,721, which is slightly higher than the state average, and it has maintained a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.2 to 15.3 over the past few years. While Paola High's academic performance is generally lower than that of nearby high-performing schools like Blue Valley Southwest High School and Louisburg High School, it outperforms some nearby schools, such as Gardner Edgerton High and Osawatomie High, in both overall ranking and academic proficiency rates.

Detail:

Public 9-12

401 N Angela
Paola, KS 66071

(913) 294-8010

District: Paola

SchoolDigger Rank:
117^th of 318 Kansas High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,721

Feeder schools for Paola High:

Elementary:	Cottonwood Elementary
	Sunflower Elementary
Middle:	Paola Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 17.3

Number of students: 589

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.0%

Hispanic:

6.3%

Two or more races:

3.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.8%

See top rated Kansas high schools

Compare Paola High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Paola High ranks better than 63.2% of high schools in Kansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.1. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Paola High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89%), Hispanic (6.3%), two or more races (3.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 32.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paola High is 17.3. (See more...)

Compare Paola High employs 34 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paola High is $11,721.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Paola High:

SchoolDigger ranks Paola High 117^th of 318 Kansas public high schools. (See Paola High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Paola:

SchoolDigger ranks Paola 47^th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Paola High

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Rank History for all students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2006	69.47	69^th	262	73.7%
2007	49.26	149^th	280	46.8%
2008	50.89	156^th	267	41.6%
2009	68.31	90^th	291	69.1%
2010	79.77	36^th	302	88.1%
2011	74.42	61^st	298	79.5%
2012	61.35	144^th	317	54.6%
2013	57.62	156^th	323	51.7%
2015	56.37	142^nd	326	56.4%
2016	51.72	151^st	313	51.8%
2017	37.56	193^rd	316	38.9%
2018	47.16	161^st	314	48.7%
2019	50.28	155^th	325	52.3%
2021	41.53	202^nd	320	36.9%
2022	40.48	203^rd	324	37.3%
2023	46.60	173^rd	327	47.1%
2024	57.10	117^th	318	63.2%

See the entire list of Kansas High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	78.84	12^th	110	89.1%
2019	63.13	16^th	111	85.6%
2021	36.06	70^th	115	39.1%
2023	92.45	4^th	122	96.7%
2024	80.19	13^th	124	89.5%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	53.56	100^th	228	56.1%
2019	56.40	80^th	229	65.1%
2021	64.82	49^th	213	77.0%
2022	37.52	153^rd	223	31.4%
2023	50.22	117^th	250	53.2%
2024	72.02	37^th	249	85.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	46.66	133^rd	248	46.4%
2019	57.02	100^th	249	59.8%
2021	42.06	150^th	250	40.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	78.84	12^th	110	89.1%
2019	63.13	16^th	111	85.6%
2021	36.06	70^th	115	39.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	45.32	133^rd	248	46.4%
2019	39.43	163^rd	252	35.3%
2021	40.02	159^th	258	38.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	69.15	19^th	110	82.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Paola High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	44.61	159^th	296	46.3%
2019	43.07	176^th	306	42.5%
2021	31.75	235^th	302	22.2%
2022	30.59	238^th	307	22.5%
2023	39.49	192^nd	309	37.9%
2024	49.91	134^th	295	54.6%

See the entire list of Best Kansas High 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

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Enrollment information for Paola High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	439	17	1	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	467
1989	456	22	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
1990	453	17	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	476
1991	469	17	1	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	500
1992	459	19	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	494
1993	463	22	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	497
1994	499	20	1	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1995	596	18	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	623
1996	596	18	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	623
1997	625	10	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	642
1998	673	13	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	692
1999	665	15	3	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	697
2000	693	17	2	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	725
2001	680	11	3	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	711
2002	644	15	1	13	5	n/a	n/a	0	678
2003	644	15	1	13	5	n/a	n/a	0	678
2004	674	23	2	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	714
2005	679	18	1	18	5	n/a	n/a	3	724
2006	665	19	1	15	6	n/a	n/a	2	708
2007	649	16	1	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	681
2008	621	16	0	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	653
2009	625	14	0	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	648
2010	595	12	1	17	0	0	19	0	644
2011	597	7	2	17	1	1	23	0	648
2012	581	5	4	20	2	1	25	0	638
2013	589	4	4	19	4	1	25	0	646
2014	553	2	2	22	5	0	23	0	607
2015	530	5	1	14	4	1	16	0	571
2016	549	10	1	26	3	1	21	0	611
2017	553	12	1	27	2	1	19	0	615
2018	570	16	1	37	1	1	17	0	643
2019	555	14	1	35	4	0	21	0	630
2020	532	16	2	32	5	0	16	0	603
2021	525	17	2	23	5	0	18	0	590
2022	510	9	2	26	6	0	16	0	569
2023	502	5	3	33	3	0	12	0	558
2024	524	5	1	37	2	0	20	0	589

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 Paola High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	467	34.0	13.7	0
1989	485	35.0	13.8	n/a
1990	476	36.3	13.1	0
1991	500	36.2	13.8	n/a
1992	494	35.9	13.7	18
1993	497	37.9	13.1	12.3
1994	530	36.8	14.4	9.8
1995	623	39.0	16.0	18.3
1996	623	39.0	16.0	18.3
1997	642	48.0	13.4	16.5
1998	692	41.0	16.9	14.2
1999	697	42.5	16.4	11
2000	725	43.8	16.6	13.1
2001	711	45.3	15.7	11.5
2002	678	44.3	15.3	16.8
2003	678	44.3	15.3	16.8
2004	714	44.3	16.1	20
2005	724	45.3	16.0	18
2006	708	46.4	15.3	17.3
2007	681	52.9	12.9	17.6
2008	653	46.4	14.1	18.1
2009	648	47.4	13.7	23.1
2010	644	42.4	15.1	26.2
2011	648	40.3	16.0	26.1
2012	638	50.3	12.6	28.7
2013	646	43.8	14.7	31.7
2014	607	44.5	13.6	33.9
2015	571	42.0	13.5	29.1
2016	611	39.0	15.6	33.4
2017	615	40.2	15.2	28.3
2018	643	40.7	15.7	29.7
2019	630	39.6	15.9	32.1
2020	603	39.5	15.2	28.2
2021	590	38.5	15.3	27.3
2022	569	40.0	14.2	25.3
2023	558	37.0	15.0	28.9
2024	589	34.0	17.3	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 Paola High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	467	34.0	13.7	0
1989	485	35.0	13.8	n/a
1990	476	36.3	13.1	0
1991	500	36.2	13.8	n/a
1992	494	35.9	13.7	18
1993	497	37.9	13.1	12.3
1994	530	36.8	14.4	9.8
1995	623	39.0	16.0	18.3
1996	623	39.0	16.0	18.3
1997	642	48.0	13.4	16.5
1998	692	41.0	16.9	14.2
1999	697	42.5	16.4	11
2000	725	43.8	16.6	13.1
2001	711	45.3	15.7	11.5
2002	678	44.3	15.3	16.8
2003	678	44.3	15.3	16.8
2004	714	44.3	16.1	20
2005	724	45.3	16.0	18
2006	708	46.4	15.3	17.3
2007	681	52.9	12.9	17.6
2008	653	46.4	14.1	18.1
2009	648	47.4	13.7	23.1
2010	644	42.4	15.1	26.2
2011	648	40.3	16.0	26.1
2012	638	50.3	12.6	28.7
2013	646	43.8	14.7	31.7
2014	607	44.5	13.6	33.9
2015	571	42.0	13.5	29.1
2016	611	39.0	15.6	33.4
2017	615	40.2	15.2	28.3
2018	643	40.7	15.7	29.7
2019	630	39.6	15.9	32.1
2020	603	39.5	15.2	28.2
2021	590	38.5	15.3	27.3
2022	569	40.0	14.2	25.3
2023	558	37.0	15.0	28.9
2024	589	34.0	17.3	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 Paola High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$500 (4.3%)	$11,222 (95.7%)	$11,721

Data source: Kansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paola High

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 155^th of 325 High schools	Ranks 173^rd of 327 High schools	5.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Paola High)	27.6	21.8	5.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Paola)	27.6	21.8	5.8%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	28.5	26.7	1.7%
10th Grade Mathematics (Paola High)	18.3	15.7	2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Paola)	18.3	15.7	2.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	24.5	21	3.5%
11th Grade Science (Paola High)	36.2	34.6	1.5%
11th Grade Science (Paola)	36.2	34.6	1.5%
11th Grade Science (Kansas)	32.4	28.9	3.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	630	558	11.4%
African American	14	5	64.3%
American Indian	4	3	25%
Asian	1	3	200%
Hispanic	35	33	5.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	555	502	9.5%
Two or More Races	21	12	42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32.1%	28.9%	3.2%

Schools Near Paola High

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 7th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 7th Grade	KAP Mathematics 8th Grade	KAP Mathematics 10th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 8th Grade	KAP Science 11th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Paola High	Public	9-12	401 N Angela	Paola	66071	Miami County	Paola	No	No	No	No	(913) 294-8010	589	34	17.3	32.8%	524 (89.0%)	5 (0.8%)	37 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.4%)	57.1	117^th of 318 public high schools	63.2%		46.6	173^rd of 327 public high schools	47.1%	56			33.8	33.8			17.6	17.6		32.8	32.8	$11,721	$500	$11,222
Osawatomie Virtual School	Public, Virtual	9-12	1200 Trojan Drive	Osawatomie	66064	Miami County	Osawatomie	No	No	Yes	No	(913) 755-2191	15				12 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (13.3%)								(n/a)
Osawatomie High	Public	9-12	1200 Trojan Dr	Osawatomie	66064	Miami County	Osawatomie	No	No	No	No	(913) 755-2191	280	23	12.0	57.1%	233 (83.2%)	7 (2.5%)	19 (6.8%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.7%)	18.7	280^th of 318 public high schools	11.9%		22.3	278^th of 327 public high schools	15.0%	2			13.0	13.0			16.2	16.2		13.6	13.6	$14,558	$1,213	$13,346
Louisburg High	Public	9-12	202 Aquatic Drive	Louisburg	66053	Miami County	Louisburg	No	No	No	No	(913) 837-1720	540	38	14.0	18.5%	470 (87.0%)	3 (0.6%)	37 (6.9%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.3%)	91.2	16^th of 318 public high schools	95.0%		89.8	14^th of 327 public high schools	95.7%	2			52.0	52.0			34.6	34.6		44.2	44.2	$9,711	$330	$9,381
Insight School of Kansas	Public, Virtual, Charter	7-12	101 E South St	Spring Hill	66083	Johnson County	Spring Hill	Yes	No	Yes	No	(913) 592-4600	1,133	35	32.6		768 (67.8%)	106 (9.4%)	175 (15.4%)	13 (1.1%)	16 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (4.8%)	39.3	207^th of 318 public high schools	34.9%		34.5	236^th of 327 public high schools	27.8%	29	29.6	12.1	27.4	22.8	12.8	5.5	4.6	7.4	19.1	31.7	26.8	$4,611	$00	$4,611
Louisburg Virtual Program	Public, Virtual	6-12	29020 Mission Belleview Road	Louisburg	66053	Miami County	Louisburg	No	No	Yes	No	(913) 837-1700	24				20 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.3%)								(n/a)
Spring Hill High School	Public	9-12	19701 S. Ridgeview	Spring Hill	66083	Johnson County	Spring Hill	No	No	No	No	(913) 592-7299	1,038	67	15.4	19.5%	862 (83.0%)	28 (2.7%)	84 (8.1%)	13 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	46 (4.4%)	87.1	24^th of 318 public high schools	92.5%		87.7	19^th of 327 public high schools	94.2%	5			48.1	48.1			30.0	30.0		44.0	44.0	$11,316	$1,752	$9,563
Wellsville High	Public	9-12	602 Walnut	Wellsville	66092	Franklin County	Wellsville	No	No	No	No	(785) 883-2057	246	15	15.9	26.0%	224 (91.1%)	3 (1.2%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	44.6	183^rd of 318 public high schools	42.5%		57.9	127^th of 327 public high schools	61.2%	56			21.1	21.1			14.5	14.5		37.3	37.3	$13,582	$1,129	$12,453
Prairie View High	Public	9-12	13731 KS Hwy 152	LaCygne	66040	Linn County	Prairie View	No	No	No	No	(913) 757-4447	247	25	9.9	51.0%	212 (85.8%)	3 (1.2%)	18 (7.3%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	52.9	143^rd of 318 public high schools	55.0%		39.7	210^th of 327 public high schools	35.8%	67			32.8	32.8			13.8	13.8		33.3	33.3	$13,923	$63	$13,860
Gardner Edgerton High	Public	9-12	425 N. Waverly Road	Gardner	66030	Johnson County	Gardner Edgerton	No	No	No	No	(913) 856-2600	1,766	102	17.3	35.6%	1,280 (72.5%)	95 (5.4%)	224 (12.7%)	43 (2.4%)	6 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	117 (6.6%)	39.7	204^th of 318 public high schools	35.8%		52.8	146^th of 327 public high schools	55.4%	58			21.4	21.4			18.3	18.3		28.2	28.2	$9,088	$563	$8,525

Paola High

Paola High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Paola:

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Rank History for Paola High

Rank History for all students at Paola High

Rank History for Special Education students at Paola High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paola High

Rank History for Female students at Paola High

Rank History for Disabled students at Paola High

Rank History for Male students at Paola High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paola High

Rank History for White students at Paola High

Enrollment information for Paola High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Paola High

Student/Teacher Ratio Paola High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Paola High

Impact of COVID-19 on Paola High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Paola High

Frequently Asked Questions about Paola High

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