Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0Abilene’s public schools outscore 59% of Kansas districts
42% of students in Abilene’s public schools are proficient in reading, above the Kansas average (32%). The grade covers the public school district serving Abilene, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Kansas, not nationally.
From Kansas state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Abilene’s schools, in brief
Above the state in reading, below in math
Reading proficiency is 42% and math 25% in spring 2022, against 32% and 29% statewide; 85–89% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $13,372 per student, against $14,966 across Kansas (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
One elementary school, then one elementary, one middle and one high school
From grade 2 the district’s path is McKinley Elem, then Abilene Middle School, then Abilene High School. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
St. Andrews Elementary School (private) and Abilene Baptist Academy (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Abilene’s grade
B: better than 59% of Kansas school districts, #73 of 151 Kansas towns. Test scores are above the Kansas average; graduation is below it.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Abilene, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Abilene
Kennedy Elem
Grades PK–1 · 276 students · 17:1 students per teacher
1st grade in Abilene
Kennedy Elem
Grades PK–1 · 276 students · 17:1 students per teacher
2nd grade in Abilene
McKinley Elem
Grades 2–3 · 196 students · 13:1 students per teacher
3rd grade in Abilene
McKinley Elem
Grades 2–3 · 196 students · 13:1 students per teacher
4th grade in Abilene
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary
Grades 4–5 · 218 students · 16:1 students per teacher
5th grade in Abilene
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary
Grades 4–5 · 218 students · 16:1 students per teacher
6th grade in Abilene
Abilene Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 319 students · 12:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Abilene
Abilene Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 319 students · 12:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Abilene
Abilene Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 319 students · 12:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Abilene
Abilene High School
Grades 9–12 · 443 students · 11:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Abilene
Abilene High School
Grades 9–12 · 443 students · 11:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Abilene
Abilene High School
Grades 9–12 · 443 students · 11:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Abilene
Abilene High School
Grades 9–12 · 443 students · 11:1 students per teacher
Abilene’s public schools are run by Abilene Unified School District 435, which also serves Buckeye, Garfield, Grant and Lincoln and others. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well above the state in reading
Abilene vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Kansas towns that share Abilene’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene | B | Abilene Unified School District 435 |
| Grant | — | Abilene Unified School District 435 |
| Lincoln | B− | Solomon Unified School District 393 PK–12 · Abilene Unified School District 435 PK–12 |
All 2 neighbors share Abilene Unified School District 435 with Abilene, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.
Every school in Abilene
7 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Kansas’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Left off: 1 public program with fewer than 25 students (Abilene Virtual School).
Questions about Abilene’s schools
Are Abilene’s schools good?
They sit near the middle of Kansas: the public schools Abilene children attend outscore 59% of Kansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade, #73 of 151 Kansas towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 62%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Abilene in?
Abilene Unified School District 435, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 1,476 students in 6 schools (2024–25).
Where do Abilene kids go to high school?
Abilene High School, with 443 students; its own test results earn a C.
What is Abilene’s graduation rate?
85–89% of the class of 2023 in Abilene Unified School District 435 graduated in four years, against 88% across Kansas.
How much does Abilene spend per student?
$13,372 in Abilene Unified School District 435 (FY2024), against $14,966 across Kansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Abilene?
Yes: St. Andrews Elementary School (Catholic, grades PK–5, 138 students) and Abilene Baptist Academy (religious, grades K–12, 15 students).
Parents talk
What Abilene families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Abilene → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Kansas. Stars are from neighbors.