Northern Hills Elementary

Q: Is Northern Hills Elementary a good school?

Northern Hills Elementary ranks 372 nd of 653 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northern Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, serving 387 students in grades K-6 as part of the Seaman School District.

While Northern Hills Elementary performs in the middle range of Kansas elementary schools, it faces some challenges. The school's academic performance on state assessments is generally below the Seaman district and state averages, except for 5th grade Science where it exceeds the state average. Northern Hills also struggles to support its Hispanic and low-income students, who perform significantly lower than their peers across the state. However, the school performs relatively well for its special education students, suggesting it has effective strategies in place that could potentially be applied to other underperforming groups.

Compared to nearby Seaman district schools like West Indianola Elementary and Elmont Elementary, Northern Hills lags behind in overall academic performance and has a higher percentage of students from low-income families. With its higher-than-average spending per student, Northern Hills has the resources to implement targeted interventions and support systems to address the unique needs of its diverse student population and improve academic outcomes for all.

Detail:

Public K-6

5620 NW Topeka Blvd
Topeka, KS 66617

(785) 286-2992

District: Seaman

SchoolDigger Rank:
372^nd of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,776

Students who attend Northern Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Seaman Middle School
High:	Seaman High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 419

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.6%

Hispanic:

8.6%

Two or more races:

6.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Northern Hills Elementary ranks worse than 57% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks 4^th among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Seaman School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.23. (See more...)

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

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.6%), Hispanic (8.6%), two or more races (6.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northern Hills Elementary is 12.3, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Seaman School District! (See more...)

Compare Northern Hills Elementary employs 33.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northern Hills Elementary is $8,776. 2 elementary schools in the Seaman School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Northern Hills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Northern Hills Elementary 372^nd of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Northern Hills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Seaman:

SchoolDigger ranks Seaman 104^th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northern Hills Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2019	52.95	301^st	667	54.9%
2021	53.85	301^st	670	55.1%
2022	44.82	374^th	668	44.0%
2023	41.57	395^th	660	40.2%
2024	45.23	372^nd	653	43.0%

See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	63.16	83^rd	296	72.0%
2024	56.20	116^th	306	62.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	82.27	31^st	512	93.9%
2019	59.86	167^th	509	67.2%
2021	52.98	214^th	494	56.7%
2022	31.09	397^th	512	22.5%
2023	33.57	388^th	541	28.3%
2024	32.75	404^th	546	26.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	64.05	193^rd	574	66.4%
2019	47.32	324^th	591	45.2%
2021	58.07	232^nd	591	60.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	61.36	202^nd	575	64.9%
2019	56.60	233^rd	586	60.2%
2021	49.84	296^th	605	51.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	25.45	221^st	254	13.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	57.40	229^th	574	60.1%
2019	48.01	306^th	592	48.3%
2021	50.10	300^th	587	48.9%
2022	44.09	335^th	596	43.8%
2023	40.83	370^th	584	36.6%
2024	42.18	348^th	579	39.9%

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

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Enrollment information for Northern Hills Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	317	10	6	38	1	0	13	385
2018	366	18	3	49	4	1	20	461
2019	316	13	7	48	2	1	19	406
2020	294	16	6	53	1	0	20	390
2021	290	22	6	43	2	1	16	380
2022	295	20	5	34	3	1	18	376
2023	299	17	6	37	5	1	22	387
2024	321	22	5	36	7	2	26	419

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 Northern Hills Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	385	26.6	14.4	41
2018	461	29.4	15.6	41
2019	406	27.6	14.7	36.9
2020	390	28.9	13.4	38.2
2021	380	31.4	12.0	41.8
2022	376	32.1	11.7	36.7
2023	387	30.9	12.5	42.1
2024	419	33.9	12.3	42.5

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 Northern Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	385	26.6	14.4	41
2018	461	29.4	15.6	41
2019	406	27.6	14.7	36.9
2020	390	28.9	13.4	38.2
2021	380	31.4	12.0	41.8
2022	376	32.1	11.7	36.7
2023	387	30.9	12.5	42.1
2024	419	33.9	12.3	42.5

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 Northern Hills Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$703 (8.0%)	$8,073 (92.0%)	$8,776

Data source: Kansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northern Hills 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 301^st of 667 Elementary schools	Ranks 395^th of 660 Elementary schools	14.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Northern Hills Elementary)	21.3	35.7	14.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Seaman)	33.9	35.7	1.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	40.6	38.1	2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Northern Hills Elementary)	26.2	45.6	19.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Seaman)	46	46.8	0.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	50.3	50.4	0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Hills Elementary)	62.5	50	12.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Seaman)	54.7	45.4	9.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	47.6	42.8	4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Northern Hills Elementary)	50	30.4	19.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Seaman)	47.6	39	8.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	36.1	37.6	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Hills Elementary)	40.3	32.8	7.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Seaman)	45.6	43.4	2.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	43.5	39.6	4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Northern Hills Elementary)	30.6	29.5	1.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Seaman)	38.7	35.3	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	31.9	31.3	0.6%
5th Grade Science (Northern Hills Elementary)	41.9	38.3	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Seaman)	46	48.3	2.3%
5th Grade Science (Kansas)	43.1	42.1	1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Northern Hills Elementary)	52	25.9	26.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Seaman)	50.5	46.1	4.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	38.4	33.7	4.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Northern Hills Elementary)	49.3	20	29.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Seaman)	47.8	43.8	4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	31.9	29.9	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	406	387	4.7%
African American	13	17	30.8%
American Indian	2	5	150%
Asian	7	6	14.3%
Hispanic	48	37	22.9%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	316	299	5.4%
Two or More Races	19	22	15.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	36.9%	42.1%	5.2%

Schools Near Northern Hills 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
Northern Hills Elementary	Public	K-6	5620 NW Topeka Blvd	Topeka	66617	Shawnee County	Seaman	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 286-2992	419	34	12.3	42.5%	321 (76.6%)	22 (5.3%)	36 (8.6%)	5 (1.2%)	7 (1.7%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.2%)	45.2	372^nd of 653 public elementary schools	43.0%		41.6	395^th of 660 public elementary schools	40.2%	23	38.8	46.4	31.5	36.8	38.4	41.8	37.5	18.5	29.4	32.2	44.4	44.4	$8,776	$703	$8,073
Elmont Elementary	Public	K-6	6432 NW Elmont Rd	Topeka	66618	Shawnee County	Seaman	No	No	No	No	(785) 286-8450	313	20	15.5	22.4%	263 (84.0%)	7 (2.2%)	20 (6.4%)	5 (1.6%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	88.9	51^st of 653 public elementary schools	92.2%		81.6	93^rd of 660 public elementary schools	85.9%	42	52.1	60.5	54.7	51.9	54.6	72.9	60.5	62.3	65.4	65.3	83.0	83.0	$8,802	$627	$8,175
North Fairview	Public	K-6	1941 NE 39th	Topeka	66617	Shawnee County	Seaman	No	No	No	No	(785) 286-8500	302	23	12.9	37.4%	251 (83.1%)	7 (2.3%)	21 (7.0%)	2 (0.7%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	63	209^th of 653 public elementary schools	68.0%		71.3	151^st of 660 public elementary schools	77.1%	58	40.5	60.5	28.9	36.4	42.0	56.8	53.5	36.8	52.3	50.0	44.7	44.7	$8,492	$430	$8,062
West Indianola Elementary	Public	K-6	4201 NW Brickyard Rd	Topeka	66618	Shawnee County	Seaman	No	No	No	No	(785) 286-8550	438	29	15.0	32.2%	355 (81.1%)	9 (2.1%)	48 (11.0%)	2 (0.5%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.9%)	71.2	151^st of 653 public elementary schools	76.9%		62.8	208^th of 660 public elementary schools	68.5%	57	50.0	45.9	50.0	50.6	49.3	66.1	34.4	33.3	48.2	45.8	65.6	65.6	$7,588	$437	$7,151
Logan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1124 NW Lyman Rd	Topeka	66608	Shawnee County	Seaman	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 575-8700	592	37	15.9	63.5%	424 (71.6%)	54 (9.1%)	68 (11.5%)	2 (0.3%)	11 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.6%)	35.6	444^th of 653 public elementary schools	32.0%		30.8	487^th of 660 public elementary schools	26.2%	43	25.0	35.7	26.8	25.0	28.6	47.9	28.6	38.2	11.7	30.5	46.3	46.3	$12,005	$861	$11,145
Quincy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 NE Quincy St	Topeka	66608	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 235-7420	154	18	8.4	89.0%	70 (45.5%)	14 (9.1%)	46 (29.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (11.7%)	9.2	617^th of 653 public elementary schools	5.5%		24.9	526^th of 660 public elementary schools	20.3%	91	9.1	28.1	6.1		14.9	21.7	15.2	9.1		14.6	9.1	9.1	$17,027	$2,801	$14,226
Jefferson West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	301 Main Street	Meriden	66512	Jefferson County	Jefferson West	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 484-2455	326	20	16.3	34.7%	284 (87.1%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.8%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	15 (4.6%)	85.4	74^th of 653 public elementary schools	88.7%		78	114^th of 660 public elementary schools	82.7%	40	48.1	69.8			59.8	72.2	59.7			65.5			$11,695	$437	$11,258
State Street Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 NE Sumner St	Topeka	66616	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(785) 235-7280	419	36	11.7	90.0%	131 (31.3%)	19 (4.5%)	217 (51.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (11.5%)	23.5	526^th of 653 public elementary schools	19.4%		21.9	543^rd of 660 public elementary schools	17.7%	17	31.0	22.5	26.7		26.5	35.6	16.9	25.3		25.4	26.7	26.7	$13,178	$2,250	$10,927
Meadows Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	201 SW Clay St	Topeka	66606	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(785) 235-7150	426	33	12.7	85.2%	157 (36.9%)	61 (14.3%)	146 (34.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (13.6%)	29.9	479^th of 653 public elementary schools	26.6%		36.7	434^th of 660 public elementary schools	34.2%	45	20.9	28.8	33.8		27.8	24.2	28.4	30.3		27.6	40.9	40.9	$13,280	$2,620	$10,660
Scott Dual Language Magnet	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	401 SE Market St	Topeka	66607	Shawnee County	Topeka Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(785) 235-7480	386	27	14.1	89.1%	24 (6.2%)	9 (2.3%)	337 (87.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	22.5	532^nd of 653 public elementary schools	18.5%		20.4	548^th of 660 public elementary schools	17.0%	16	11.3	18.8	38.8		23.3	4.8	7.6	28.6		14.1	40.8	40.8	$11,725	$2,554	$9,171

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Hills Elementary

Is Northern Hills Elementary a good school?

Northern Hills Elementary ranks 372^nd of 653 Kansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Northern Hills Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 419 students attended Northern Hills Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Northern Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northern Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Seaman Middle School
High : Seaman High

What is the racial makeup of Northern Hills Elementary?

Students at Northern Hills Elementary are 77% White, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 5% African American, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What district is Northern Hills Elementary in?

Seaman

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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.