Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0Great Bend’s public schools score below 61% of Kansas districts on tests and graduation
On the state reading tests, 26% of Great Bend’s students scored proficient, below the Kansas average (32%). The grade covers the public school district serving Great Bend, 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.
Great Bend’s schools, in brief
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 26% of tested students were proficient in reading and 25% in math, against 32% and 29% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Graduation
92% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88% across Kansas. Districts ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $16,214 per student, against $14,966 across Kansas (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Five elementary schools, then one middle and one high school
Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 7 the district’s path is Great Bend Middle School, then Great Bend High School. Enrollment is up 5% since 2020–21. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Holy Family School (private) is 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 Great Bend’s grade
C+: better than 39% of Kansas school districts, #107 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 Great Bend, with each school’s own grade.
7th grade in Great Bend
Great Bend Middle School
Grades 7–8 · 438 students · 11:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Great Bend
Great Bend Middle School
Grades 7–8 · 438 students · 11:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Great Bend
Great Bend High School
Grades 9–12 · 923 students · 14:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Great Bend
Great Bend High School
Grades 9–12 · 923 students · 14:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Great Bend
Great Bend High School
Grades 9–12 · 923 students · 14:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Great Bend
Great Bend High School
Grades 9–12 · 923 students · 14:1 students per teacher
Great Bend’s public schools are run by Great Bend Unified School District 428, which also serves Buffalo, Clarence, Great Bend and Liberty 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
Great Bend vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Kansas towns that share Great Bend’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Great Bend | C+ | Great Bend Unified School District 428 |
| South Bend | — | Great Bend Unified School District 428 |
| Liberty | — | Great Bend Unified School District 428 PK–12 · Fort Larned Unified School District 495 PK–12 |
| Buffalo | — | Great Bend Unified School District 428 |
| Comanche | — | Ellinwood Public Schools Unified School District 355 |
3 of the 4 neighbors share Great Bend Unified School District 428 with Great Bend, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.
Every school in Great Bend
8 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 Great Bend’s schools
Are Great Bend’s schools good?
On Kansas’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Great Bend children attend score below 61% of Kansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #107 of 151 Kansas towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 38%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Great Bend in?
Great Bend Unified School District 428, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 2,876 students in 7 schools (2024–25).
Where do Great Bend kids go to high school?
Great Bend High School, with 923 students; its own test results earn a C−.
What is Great Bend’s graduation rate?
92% of the class of 2023 in Great Bend Unified School District 428 graduated in four years, against 88% across Kansas.
How much does Great Bend spend per student?
$16,214 in Great Bend Unified School District 428 (FY2024), against $14,966 across Kansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Great Bend?
Yes: Holy Family School (Catholic, grades PK–6, 177 students).
Parents talk
What Great Bend families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Great Bend → 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.