Soderstrom Elem

Soderstrom Elem is one of the moderately sized K-5 schools in Lindsborg, Kansas, operated by Smoky Valley, with 318 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 4.

Smoky Valley runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 1,216 students. Soderstrom Elem is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Soderstrom Elem logs that the student body is overwhelmingly White (85%). The remainder consists of 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Soderstrom Elem has 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.8:1. The state averages around 13.2:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 42% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

After controlling for student poverty, Soderstrom Elem is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 42.3%; this one delivers 61.3%, a residual of +19.0 points.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for McPherson County indicate median household earnings sit near $78,851, about 34% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, McPherson County runs 18 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,829 students), of which Soderstrom Elem is one.

Smoky Valley Virtual Charter School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around Soderstrom Elem. On composite proficiency, Soderstrom Elem comes 1st of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 39.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.

Looking at the recent track record. Soderstrom Elem's enrollment has rose 4% since 2018, when it stood at 307 (now 318). The White share of enrollment shrank from 92% to 85% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Soderstrom Elem typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.