Kansas
Kansas education policy has been defined for the past decade by litigation: the Gannon v. State of Kansas Supreme Court case compelled the legislature to significantly increase and equalize school funding starting in 2018, resulting in one of the sharpest per-pupil spending increases of any state in a five-year period. The state's 286 districts span the wheat belt plains and the Kansas City metro, with districts in Johnson County — one of the wealthiest counties in the Midwest — posting some of the highest academic outcomes in the region. Wichita Public Schools is the state's largest urban district and has faced ongoing challenges around academic performance and school safety. Kansas uses the KESA (Kansas Education Systems Accreditation) framework for school quality alongside the statewide Kansas Assessment Program.
| District | Schools | Students | Per-Pupil | Grad Rate | Free Lunch | Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Districts — 10,000+ Students | ||||||
| Wichita | 88 | 46K | $17,574↓11% | 76.6%↓10% | 79.8%↑62% | 42 |
| Olathe | 51 | 29K | $15,539↓21% | 93.6%↑10% | 30.0%↓39% | 51 |
| Shawnee Mission Pub Sch | 45 | 26K | $16,015↓19% | 89.7%↑5% | 38.9%↓21% | 49 |
| Kansas City | 43 | 22K | $18,232↓7% | 81.5% | 81.0%↑64% | 36 |
| Blue Valley | 35 | 22K | $16,266↓17% | 97.2%↑14% | 11.4%↓77% | 55 |
| Topeka Public Schools | 26 | 12K | $18,156↓8% | 79.4%↓7% | 76.3%↑55% | 41 |
| Lawrence | 20 | 11K | $13,840↓30% | 82.1% | 40.7%↓17% | 49 |
| Medium Districts — 1,000–9,999 Students | ||||||
| Andover | 11 | 8,987 | $9,365↓52% | 80.3%↓6% | 12.5%↓75% | 59 |
| Maize | 12 | 7,998 | $15,377↓22% | 91.8%↑8% | 25.5%↓48% | — |
| Geary County Schools | 15 | 7,340 | $19,378 | 87.0% | 50.7% | 46 |
| Derby | 13 | 7,285 | $15,405↓22% | 93.0%↑9% | 45.2%↓8% | 39 |
| Dodge City | 11 | 7,233 | $13,731↓30% | 91.0%↑7% | 80.7%↑64% | 46 |
| Garden City | 18 | 7,233 | $14,892↓24% | 86.3% | 69.3%↑41% | 49 |
| De Soto | 13 | 7,227 | $13,176↓33% | 97.6%↑15% | 13.9%↓72% | 61 |
| Manhattan-Ogden | 14 | 7,066 | $20,005 | 82.0% | 38.0%↓23% | 42 |
| Salina | 13 | 6,724 | $20,546 | 87.2% | 59.8%↑21% | 49 |
| Goddard | 12 | 6,310 | $14,894↓24% | 93.0%↑9% | 26.6%↓46% | 51 |
| Auburn Washburn | 9 | 6,059 | $13,486↓31% | 94.0%↑10% | 35.4%↓28% | 45 |
| Gardner Edgerton | 11 | 5,989 | $14,800↓25% | 95.0%↑12% | 39.5%↓20% | 51 |
| Haysville | 9 | 5,788 | $13,589↓31% | 88.0% | 55.1%↑12% | 38 |
| Spring Hill | 10 | 5,357 | $16,566↓16% | 67.0%↓21% | 11.8%↓76% | 51 |
| Liberal | 8 | 4,659 | $14,048↓29% | 80.0%↓6% | 82.1%↑66% | 51 |
| Emporia | 8 | 4,349 | $23,578↑20% | 90.0%↑6% | 59.4%↑20% | 45 |
| Hutchinson Public Schools | 11 | 4,006 | $16,985↓14% | 86.0% | 65.8%↑34% | 47 |
| Seaman | 7 | 3,890 | $12,723↓35% | 92.0%↑8% | 36.9%↓25% | 42 |
| Turner-Kansas City | 8 | 3,880 | $17,226↓12% | 74.0%↓13% | 73.9%↑50% | 44 |
| Shawnee Heights | 6 | 3,748 | $12,649↓36% | 97.0%↑14% | 35.4%↓28% | 47 |
| Leavenworth | 8 | 3,604 | $15,353↓22% | 86.0% | 58.4%↑18% | 43 |
| Pittsburg | 6 | 3,390 | $18,620↓5% | 84.0% | 63.1%↑28% | 46 |
| Hays | 7 | 3,380 | $17,969↓9% | 93.0%↑9% | 39.9%↓19% | 51 |
| Valley Center Pub Sch | 7 | 3,195 | $15,568↓21% | 94.5%↑11% | 39.8%↓19% | — |
| Newton | 9 | 3,187 | $16,369↓17% | 82.0% | 56.3%↑14% | 46 |
| Basehor-Linwood | 7 | 3,041 | $15,423↓22% | 87.0% | 14.3%↓71% | — |
| Arkansas City | 8 | 2,887 | $14,425↓27% | 77.0%↓10% | 69.6%↑41% | 45 |
| Great Bend | 7 | 2,756 | $17,242↓12% | 87.0% | 66.0%↑34% | — |
| Piper-Kansas City | 4 | 2,634 | $12,909↓34% | 92.0%↑8% | 26.6%↓46% | 51 |
| Lansing | 4 | 2,634 | $13,798↓30% | 93.0%↑9% | 33.6%↓32% | 41 |
| Buhler | 6 | 2,543 | $12,110↓38% | 92.0%↑8% | 33.3%↓32% | 45 |
| Bonner Springs | 5 | 2,427 | $15,347↓22% | 86.0% | 53.1%↑8% | 48 |
| Ottawa | 6 | 2,344 | $14,683↓25% | 87.0% | 56.8%↑15% | 45 |
| McPherson | 6 | 2,270 | $19,113 | 87.0% | 42.4%↓14% | 58 |
| Winfield | 6 | 2,094 | $21,880↑11% | 92.0%↑8% | 54.7%↑11% | 46 |
| El Dorado | 6 | 2,083 | $14,744↓25% | 87.0% | 52.2%↑6% | — |
| Circle | 6 | 2,062 | $16,303↓17% | 92.0%↑8% | 35.0%↓29% | 38 |
| Augusta | 5 | 2,028 | $12,569↓36% | 92.0%↑8% | 44.3%↓10% | 43 |
| Renwick | 6 | 1,946 | $13,519↓31% | 95.9%↑13% | 17.5%↓65% | 55 |
| Tonganoxie | 3 | 1,925 | $23,229↑18% | 87.0% | 29.6%↓40% | 39 |
| Fort Scott | 4 | 1,839 | $13,795↓30% | 82.0% | 61.3%↑24% | 45 |
| Chanute Public Schools | 3 | 1,815 | $17,346↓12% | 92.0%↑8% | 65.3%↑32% | 50 |
| Mulvane | 4 | 1,814 | $13,932↓29% | 97.5%↑15% | 41.3%↓16% | 44 |