D
Graham County Unified School District 281
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 16 towns
Serves Hill City, Hill City, Wildhorse, Bogue, Solomon, Morland, Graham, Bryant, Millbrook, Morlan, Allodium, Pioneer, Indiana, Gettysburg, Happy and Nicodemus.
Students
383
Schools
2
Spent per student
$17,246
KS $14,966
Students per teacher
10:1
Free or reduced lunch
57%
Debt
$6.2M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Graham County Unified School District 281
- School Grade D: better than 12% of Kansas districts
- Math proficiency 6 pts below the state
- Reading / language arts 14 pts below the state
- Spends 15% more per student than the KS average
- 10 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 5.2% since 2020
- Debt of $6.2M, about $16,279 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Speed.
PK–4Phillipsburg ElemPhillipsburg Unified School District 325
5–8Phillipsburg MiddlePhillipsburg Unified School District 325
9–12Phillipsburg HighPhillipsburg Unified School District 325
Test scores vs. KS
2020–21Math proficiency22%
State average 27.9%
Reading / language arts22%
State average 35.5%
Graduation rate (4-year)90%
State average 88% · small group: the state reports 80–100%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$17,246 per student · 15% above KS
Spending
Classroom instruction 62%Support & administration 33%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 33%State 58%Federal 9%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
404’20
402’21
419’22
390’23
383’24
Down 5.2% since 2020.
Students
White 87%Two or more races 7%Hispanic 6%Black <1%
Schools in the district
2 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
Logan Unified School District 326Solomon-District 3, Towanda, Township 5
$20,597per student
Norton Community Schools Unified School District 211Highland-District 2, Solomon-District 3
$13,574per student
Palco Unified School District 269Township 7, Township 8, Township 9
$23,424per student
Stockton Unified School District 271Township 5
$17,532per 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.