Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Garden City’s public schools score below 77% of Kansas districts on tests and graduation
In Garden City, 18% of tested students are proficient in math, below the Kansas average (29%). The grade covers the public school district serving Garden City, 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.
Garden City’s schools, in brief
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 23% of tested students were proficient in reading and 18% in math, against 32% and 29% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
88% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88% across Kansas. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $13,297 per student, against $14,966 across Kansas (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Ten elementary schools, then four middle and two high schools
Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
St. Dominic Elementary School (private), St. Mary (private) and High Plains Christian School (private) are in town. USD 457 Virtual Academy, an online school, is based here too; it isn’t counted as a local school. 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 Garden City’s grade
C−: better than 23% of Kansas school districts, #135 of 151 Kansas towns. Graduation is above the Kansas average; test scores are below it.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Garden City, with each school’s own grade.
Pre-K in Garden City
Jennie Wilson Elem
Grades PK–4 · 796 students
9th grade in Garden City · depends on your address
Garden City High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,946 students · 15:1 students per teacher
GC Achieve at J.D. Adams Hall
Grades K–12 · 111 students · 7:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Garden City · depends on your address
Garden City High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,946 students · 15:1 students per teacher
GC Achieve at J.D. Adams Hall
Grades K–12 · 111 students · 7:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Garden City · depends on your address
Garden City High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,946 students · 15:1 students per teacher
GC Achieve at J.D. Adams Hall
Grades K–12 · 111 students · 7:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Garden City · depends on your address
Garden City High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,946 students · 15:1 students per teacher
GC Achieve at J.D. Adams Hall
Grades K–12 · 111 students · 7:1 students per teacher
Garden City’s public schools are run by Garden City Unified School District 457, which also serves Garden City, Garfield, Ivanhoe and Pierceville 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 below the state in reading
Garden City vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Kansas towns that share Garden City’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Garden City | C− | Garden City Unified School District 457 |
Every school in Garden City
19 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).
Questions about Garden City’s schools
Are Garden City’s schools good?
On Kansas’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Garden City children attend score below 77% of Kansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C− Schools grade, #135 of 151 Kansas towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 20%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Garden City in?
Garden City Unified School District 457, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 7,032 students in 18 schools (2024–25).
Where do Garden City kids go to high school?
One of 2 high schools, depending on your address: Garden City High School and GC Achieve at J.D. Adams Hall.
What is Garden City’s graduation rate?
88% of the class of 2023 in Garden City Unified School District 457 graduated in four years, against 88% across Kansas.
How much does Garden City spend per student?
$13,297 in Garden City Unified School District 457 (FY2024), against $14,966 across Kansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Garden City?
Yes: St. Dominic Elementary School (Catholic, grades PK–6, 143 students), St. Mary (Catholic, grades PK–6, 129 students) and High Plains Christian School (religious, grades K–8, 28 students).
Parents talk
What Garden City families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Garden City → 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.