Ross Elementary

Summary:

Ross Elementary is a public elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 558. Unfortunately, this school has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state, with very poor academic performance across multiple subjects.

Ross Elementary significantly underperforms compared to the Topeka Public Schools district and the state of Kansas in academic assessments. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 13.26% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, 12.16% in Mathematics, and 8.85% in Science. The school also struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population, ranking in the bottom 10% of Kansas elementary schools for most subgroups. Additionally, Ross Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 75.43% to 91.04% over the past few years.

While Ross Elementary faces significant challenges, some nearby schools in the Topeka Public Schools district, such as Randolph Elementary, Lowman Hill Elementary, and Whitson Elementary, perform significantly better on academic assessments. Additionally, two nearby magnet schools, Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School and Scott Dual Language Magnet, also outperform Ross Elementary. Even Shawnee Heights Elementary, located just outside the Topeka Public Schools district, outperforms Ross Elementary across multiple academic metrics.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1400 SE 34th St
       Topeka, KS  66605


(785) 274-6280

District: Topeka Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
636th of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,410 Help


Students who attend Ross Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Eisenhower Middle School
High:    Highland Park High

Student/teacher ratio:  12.3 Help
Number of students:  532

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
44.4%
African American:
20.3%
Two or more races:
18.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  92.7% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Ross Elementary ranks worse than 97.4% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks last among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Topeka Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.96. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Ross Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (44.4%), African American (20.3%), two or more races (18.6%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 92.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ross Elementary is 12.3, which is the 6th best among 14 elementary schools in the Topeka Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Ross Elementary employs 43.1 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ross Elementary is $14,410, which is the 2nd highest among 14 elementary schools in the Topeka Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ross Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ross Elementary 636th of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Ross Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Topeka Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Topeka Public Schools 245th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Ross Elementary.

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Rank History for Ross Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 53.25 321st 585 45.1%
2007 52.84 347th 600 42.2%
2008 42.27 437th 614 28.8%
2009 1.62 612th 621 1.4%
2010 6.35 605th 630 4.0%
2011 4.52 614th 631 2.7%
2012 5.56 639th 660 3.2%
2013 2.20 657th 668 1.6%
2015 8.52 653rd 678 3.7%
2016 5.02 641st 656 2.3%
2017 4.58 650th 659 1.4%
2018 5.89 637th 656 2.9%
2019 7.67 642nd 667 3.7%
2021 6.94 643rd 670 4.0%
2022 5.55 658th 668 1.5%
2023 4.91 652nd 660 1.2%
2024 6.96 636th 653 2.6%
See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 5.04 30th 30 0.0%
2024 6.07 41st 41 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.60 127th 129 1.6%
2019 34.17 92nd 122 24.6%
2021 31.77 76th 108 29.6%
2022 29.17 95th 117 18.8%
2023 32.65 86th 117 26.5%
2024 37.93 86th 124 30.6%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.81 126th 140 10.0%
2019 27.94 153rd 193 20.7%
2021 16.42 200th 214 6.5%
2022 17.95 281st 305 7.9%
2023 20.22 256th 296 13.5%
2024 19.23 272nd 306 11.1%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.23 505th 512 1.4%
2019 13.40 486th 509 4.5%
2022 11.47 503rd 512 1.8%
2023 8.96 534th 541 1.3%
2024 11.36 531st 546 2.7%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 8.73 543rd 574 5.4%
2019 9.95 561st 591 5.1%
2021 5.38 584th 591 1.2%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.81 126th 140 10.0%
2019 27.94 153rd 193 20.7%
2021 16.42 200th 214 6.5%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 5.96 570th 575 0.9%
2019 8.57 567th 586 3.2%
2021 11.11 556th 605 8.1%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.14 38th 65 41.5%
2019 37.10 48th 73 34.2%
2021 26.41 66th 73 9.6%
2022 26.91 57th 68 16.2%
2023 31.49 55th 74 25.7%
2024 30.11 54th 72 25.0%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.77 202nd 207 2.4%
2019 20.34 217th 235 7.7%
2021 31.32 179th 229 21.8%
2022 22.05 229th 254 9.8%
2023 13.86 242nd 245 1.2%
2024 21.02 238th 260 8.5%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Ross Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.58 553rd 574 3.7%
2019 11.02 559th 592 5.6%
2021 1.68 587th 587 0.0%
2022 4.36 591st 596 0.8%
2023 6.31 573rd 584 1.9%
2024 13.07 541st 579 6.6%
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.

Ross 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: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, September 13, 2012

Open Quote My children have attended Ross Elementary for a number of years. The school was not perfect when it came to the maturity of the teachers or the way things were handled but in this last 2012-2013 school year they have changed principles, added an assistant principal and have a few different teachers on the staff. It has been worse than the previous years. The teachers are rude and disrespectful to students and do not know how to maintain a professional demeanor and the principal and assistant principal still need a lot of training and should not be put in the type of setting to run a school especially not an elementary school. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Ross Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 254 79 2 24 7 n/a n/a 0 366
1989 242 90 2 29 9 n/a n/a 0 372
1990 254 103 5 24 6 n/a n/a 0 392
1991 222 103 5 22 6 n/a n/a 0 358
1992 223 99 4 22 4 n/a n/a 0 352
1993 203 115 2 24 5 n/a n/a 0 349
1994 180 123 1 23 3 n/a n/a 0 330
1995 122 114 3 22 8 n/a n/a 0 269
1996 122 114 3 22 8 n/a n/a 0 269
1997 122 83 3 18 7 n/a n/a 0 233
1998 150 105 3 11 5 n/a n/a 0 274
1999 125 99 3 12 9 n/a n/a 0 248
2000 133 105 3 22 7 n/a n/a 0 270
2001 130 128 2 37 4 n/a n/a 0 301
2002 124 143 2 45 4 n/a n/a 0 318
2003 124 143 2 45 4 n/a n/a 0 318
2004 87 124 2 36 3 n/a n/a 68 320
2005 86 114 1 44 1 n/a n/a 75 321
2006 94 112 1 55 3 n/a n/a 35 300
2007 96 119 1 75 1 n/a n/a 24 316
2008 93 130 0 82 2 n/a n/a 19 326
2009 110 144 0 98 0 n/a n/a 15 367
2010 151 138 2 13 14 2 9 0 329
2011 151 111 3 34 11 0 24 0 334
2012 132 108 0 102 3 1 23 0 369
2013 176 177 3 149 2 2 53 0 562
2014 186 186 1 162 1 2 57 0 595
2015 153 192 2 210 5 2 51 0 615
2016 165 161 3 223 11 0 52 0 615
2017 177 151 0 223 7 0 55 0 613
2018 169 151 0 223 5 0 63 0 611
2019 158 144 0 218 7 0 53 0 580
2020 137 119 0 222 7 0 71 0 556
2021 117 115 0 205 6 6 60 0 509
2022 122 129 0 210 7 1 52 0 521
2023 111 128 4 237 3 0 75 0 558
2024 80 108 2 236 5 2 99 0 532

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 Ross Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 366 18.0 20.3 0
1989 372 21.0 17.7 n/a
1990 392 24.2 16.1 0
1991 358 21.3 16.8 n/a
1992 352 21.0 16.7 53.7
1993 349 21.4 16.3 44.4
1994 330 20.2 16.3 42.1
1995 269 20.0 13.5 64.3
1996 269 20.0 13.5 64.3
1997 233 12.9 18.1 62.2
1998 274 18.0 15.2 63.5
1999 248 11.4 21.8 80.2
2000 270 19.0 14.2 74.8
2001 301 20.0 15.1 69.8
2002 318 20.0 15.9 73.9
2003 318 20.0 15.9 73.9
2004 320 25.0 12.8 85.3
2005 321 31.0 10.4 100.4
2006 300 25.0 12.0 85.7
2007 316 29.4 10.7 90.8
2008 326 26.4 12.3 85.3
2009 367 28.4 12.9 88.6
2010 329 28.4 11.5 83.9
2011 334 24.9 13.4 89.8
2012 369 32.7 11.2 89.7
2013 562 42.9 13.1 90.9
2014 595 49.1 12.1 92.8
2015 615 48.0 12.8 81
2016 615 49.0 12.5 87.8
2017 613 48.5 12.6 85.8
2018 611 50.6 12.0 84.8
2019 580 46.6 12.4 79.7
2020 556 42.6 13.0 92.3
2021 509 42.2 12.0 87.2
2022 521 40.5 12.8 75.4
2023 558 42.4 13.1 91
2024 532 43.1 12.3 92.7

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 Ross Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 366 18.0 20.3 0
1989 372 21.0 17.7 n/a
1990 392 24.2 16.1 0
1991 358 21.3 16.8 n/a
1992 352 21.0 16.7 53.7
1993 349 21.4 16.3 44.4
1994 330 20.2 16.3 42.1
1995 269 20.0 13.5 64.3
1996 269 20.0 13.5 64.3
1997 233 12.9 18.1 62.2
1998 274 18.0 15.2 63.5
1999 248 11.4 21.8 80.2
2000 270 19.0 14.2 74.8
2001 301 20.0 15.1 69.8
2002 318 20.0 15.9 73.9
2003 318 20.0 15.9 73.9
2004 320 25.0 12.8 85.3
2005 321 31.0 10.4 100.4
2006 300 25.0 12.0 85.7
2007 316 29.4 10.7 90.8
2008 326 26.4 12.3 85.3
2009 367 28.4 12.9 88.6
2010 329 28.4 11.5 83.9
2011 334 24.9 13.4 89.8
2012 369 32.7 11.2 89.7
2013 562 42.9 13.1 90.9
2014 595 49.1 12.1 92.8
2015 615 48.0 12.8 81
2016 615 49.0 12.5 87.8
2017 613 48.5 12.6 85.8
2018 611 50.6 12.0 84.8
2019 580 46.6 12.4 79.7
2020 556 42.6 13.0 92.3
2021 509 42.2 12.0 87.2
2022 521 40.5 12.8 75.4
2023 558 42.4 13.1 91
2024 532 43.1 12.3 92.7

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 Ross Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,613 (18.1%) $11,797 (81.9%) $14,410

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Ross 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 642nd of 667 Elementary schoolsRanks 652nd of 660 Elementary schools
 2.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ross Elementary)9.613.8
 4.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Topeka Public Schools)24.423.1
 1.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)40.638.1
 2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ross Elementary)13.117.3
 4.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Topeka Public Schools)38.532.6
 5.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)50.350.4
 0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ross Elementary)11.56.5
 5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Topeka Public Schools)32.728.2
 4.6%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)47.642.8
 4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ross Elementary)9.42.6
 6.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Topeka Public Schools)28.224.1
 4.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)36.137.6
 1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ross Elementary)23.78.9
 14.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Topeka Public Schools)31.824.4
 7.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)43.539.6
 4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ross Elementary)13.33.8
 9.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Topeka Public Schools)27.120.5
 6.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.931.3
 0.6%
5th Grade Science (Ross Elementary)23.711.4
 12.3%
   5th Grade Science (Topeka Public Schools)31.629.3
 2.3%
   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 Students580558
 3.8%
African American144128
 11.1%
American Indian73
 57.1%
Asian04
Hispanic218237
 8.7%
Pacific Islander00
White158111
 29.7%
Two or More Races5375
 41.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients79.7%91%
 11.4%


Schools Near Ross Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Ross Elementary

Students at Ross Elementary are 44% Hispanic, 20% African American, 19% Two or more races, 15% White.

Ross Elementary ranks in the bottom 2.6% of Kansas elementary schools.

Students who attend Ross Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Eisenhower Middle School
High : Highland Park High

In the 2023-24 school year, 532 students attended Ross Elementary.


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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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