Hillcrest Elem

Hillcrest Elem operates as a middle-of-the-pack elementary-level community in Lawrence, Kansas, operated by Lawrence. Current enrollment sits at 393 students spanning grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 313 students per school, that is 26% bigger than typical.

Within Lawrence, which oversees 18 schools and 10,380 students, Hillcrest Elem is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Hillcrest Elem lists that the largest single group is White at 39%, but no single group is in the majority. The remainder consists of 26% Hispanic, 15% multiracial, 11% Black, 8% Asian. That is noticeably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 78%.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.8:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Hillcrest Elem tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 62% of students at Hillcrest Elem qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Douglas County runs at roughly 40%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Hillcrest Elem sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 32.6%; this one delivers 43.6%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Douglas County put median household income runs about $69,746, 53% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Across Douglas County's 30 public schools (combined enrollment of about 13,766 students), Hillcrest Elem is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Lawrence West Middle School, around 0.5 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Hillcrest Elem at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 36.8%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Hillcrest Elem has grew 28%, going from 306 students in 2018 to 393 in 2025. The Asian share of enrollment fell from 14% to 8% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 9.6:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 today.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.