Valley’s public schools beat 91% of Kansas districts
The public schools Valley’s kids attend outperform 91% of Kansas’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
Valley’s schools, in brief
Valley’s schools are very small
All of Valley’s public school students add up to 229 children, with about 12 per teacher. That means real individual attention, but also that a single class can swing the scores from year to year. Every school ↓
Strong results on a lean budget
Valley spends 46% less per student than the state average. Even so, its schools beat 91% of Kansas districts. Test scores ↓
Valley has its own elementary school and shares the rest
Valley’s own school is Central Plains Elementary School - Holyrood, for pre-K through grade 6. From grade 7, students go to Central Plains Jr. Sr. High School in Claflin. Palacky, Farmer, Independent and Green Garden send their kids to all the same schools. The elementary school earns the best grade on the path (A); the middle school earns the lowest (C+). See the path ↓
The strongest schools in the area
Valley outscores all four towns that border it. The whole area is strong: even the lowest-scoring neighbor, Green Garden, earns A. Compare ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Test scores are from 2020–21, a pandemic year, so treat small gaps with caution.
How Valley compares
How the School Grade works
- Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on Kansas’s state tests against the state average. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
- The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested.
- Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of Kansas only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
- What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Valley.
The district
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Well above the state in reading
Valley vs. its neighbors
Valley’s schools rank 1st of 5 among the towns that share its borders. School Grade, by percentile among Kansas districts.
Every school in Valley
1 school. Grades are based on state tests and graduation. Any other ratings are made by neighbors.
Parents talk
What Valley families are saying about school.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Colleges near Valley
There’s no college in Valley, but 2 are within 30 miles. The closest is Barton County Community College in Great Bend, 19.3 miles away.
Straight-line distance from the center of Valley. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS.
School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results, graded within Kansas. Stars are from neighbors.