B−

Paradise Unified School District 399

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 14 towns

Serves Herzog, Natoma, Natoma, Paradise, Township 12, Waldo, Mount Ayr, Paradise, Covert, Round Mound, Waldo, Liberty, Victor and Valley, and parts of Kill Creek.

Students

115

Schools

Spent per student

$26,351

KS $14,966

Students per teacher

6:1

Free or reduced lunch

64%

The gist

What stands out about Paradise Unified School District 399

School Grade B−: better than 46% of Kansas districts
Graduation rate (4-year) 13 pts below the state
Spends 76% more per student than the KS average
6 students per teacher
Enrollment up 8.5% since 2020

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Oak.

PK–6Smith Center ElemSmith Center Unified School District 237

7–12Smith Center Jr Sr HighSmith Center Unified School District 237

Test scores vs. KS

2020–21

Math proficiency27%

State average 27.9%

Reading / language arts34.5%

State average 35.5%

Graduation rate (4-year)75%

State average 88% · small group: the state reports 50–100%

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024

$26,351 per student · 76% above KS

Spending

Classroom instruction 65%Support & administration 31%Other 4%

Paid for by

Local (mostly property tax) 31%State 62%Federal 8%

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time

106’20

128’21

113’22

96’23

115’24

Up 8.5% since 2020.

Students

White 84%Hispanic 9%Two or more races 5%Asian 2%

Schools in the district

2 public schools.

Natoma Elem

Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Natoma

B+

57 students6:1

Natoma High (6-12)

High · Grades 6–12 · Natoma

58 students6:1

Towns served

Herzog 1,632Natoma 434Natoma 427Paradise 230Township 12 103Waldo 62 Mount Ayr 51 Paradise 25 Covert 19 Round Mound 17 Waldo 17 Liberty 16 Victor 3 Valley

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Osborne County Unified School District 392Independence, Jackson, Sumner

$15,953per student

Russell County Unified School District 407Big Creek, Center, Russell

$16,753per student

Hays Unified School District 489Big Creek, Buckeye, Freedom

$15,313per student

Ellis Unified School District 388Buckeye

$15,408per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.