Sterling Grade School

Sterling Grade School is an elementary school of medium-sized scale in Sterling, Kansas, part of Sterling, hosting 268 students in grades pre-K through 6.

Within Sterling, which oversees 2 schools and 500 students, Sterling Grade School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Sterling Grade School reports that 92% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority; the rest looks like 4% multiracial, 2% Black. By comparison, Rice County as a whole is about 79% White, so the school skews meaningfully more White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 22 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.2:1, putting Sterling Grade School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 42% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is noticeably below Rice County's rate of about 58%.

With demographic context factored in, Sterling Grade School 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 42.2%; this one delivers 75.2%, a residual of +33.0 points.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Rice County put the typical household earns roughly $63,925 per year, about 26% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. Across Rice County's 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,434 students), Sterling Grade School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Sterling Junior High/Senior High, roughly 0.6 miles away. 7 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. On composite proficiency, Sterling Grade School comes 1st of 8 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 32.2%.

The school occupies a rural site.

Looking at the recent track record. Sterling Grade School's enrollment has showed little movement since 2018, when it stood at 272 (now 268).

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.