Photo: Bhall87 · CC BY-SA 3.0Wakarusa Township’s public schools outscore 63% of Kansas districts
In Wakarusa Township, 38% of tested students read at a proficient level, above the Kansas average (32%). The grade covers the public school district serving Wakarusa Township, 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 92% 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.
Wakarusa Township’s schools, in brief
Above the state on tests
Reading proficiency is 38% and math 32% in spring 2022, against 32% and 29% statewide; 87% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $12,393 per student, against $14,966 across Kansas (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
11 elementary schools, then four middle and two high schools
Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓
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 Wakarusa Township’s grade
B: better than 63% of Kansas school districts. 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 Wakarusa Township, with each school’s own grade.
Pre-K in Wakarusa Township
New York Elem
Grades PK–5 · 415 students · 20:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
9th grade in Wakarusa Township · depends on your address
Lawrence Free State High
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
Lawrence High
Grades 9–12 · 1,454 students · 15:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
10th grade in Wakarusa Township · depends on your address
Lawrence Free State High
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
Lawrence High
Grades 9–12 · 1,454 students · 15:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
11th grade in Wakarusa Township · depends on your address
Lawrence Free State High
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
Lawrence High
Grades 9–12 · 1,454 students · 15:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
12th grade in Wakarusa Township · depends on your address
Lawrence Free State High
Grades 9–12 · 1,774 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
Lawrence High
Grades 9–12 · 1,454 students · 15:1 students per teacher · in Lawrence
Wakarusa Township’s public schools are run by Lawrence Unified School District 497, which also serves Clinton, Grant, Kanwaka and Lawrence and others. Parts of Wakarusa Township (6% and 5% of its land) are served by Perry Public Schools Unified School District 343 and Baldwin City Unified School District 348 instead. 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
Wakarusa Township vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Kansas towns that share Wakarusa Township’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Wakarusa Township | B | Lawrence Unified School District 497 |
| Lawrence | B | Lawrence Unified School District 497 |
| Grant | — | Lawrence Unified School District 497 |
| Rural | — | Perry Public Schools Unified School District 343 |
| Eudora | B+ | Eudora Unified School District 491 |
| Palmyra | A− | Baldwin City Unified School District 348 |
| Clinton | — | Lawrence Unified School District 497 |
| Lecompton | B− | Perry Public Schools Unified School District 343 |
| Reno | B | Tonganoxie Unified School District 464 PK–12 · Lawrence Unified School District 497 PK–12 |
| Willow Springs | B | Baldwin City Unified School District 348 PK–12 · Lawrence Unified School District 497 PK–12 |
5 of the 9 neighbors share Lawrence Unified School District 497 with Wakarusa Township, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.
Every school in Wakarusa Township
17 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 Wakarusa Township’s schools
Are Wakarusa Township’s schools good?
They sit near the middle of Kansas: the public schools Wakarusa Township children attend outscore 63% of Kansas’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 60%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Wakarusa Township in?
Lawrence Unified School District 497, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 10,380 students in 18 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Wakarusa Township are served by Perry Public Schools Unified School District 343 and Baldwin City Unified School District 348.
Where do Wakarusa Township kids go to high school?
One of 2 high schools, depending on your address: Lawrence Free State High and Lawrence High.
What is Wakarusa Township’s graduation rate?
87% of the class of 2023 in Lawrence Unified School District 497 graduated in four years, against 88% across Kansas.
How much does Wakarusa Township spend per student?
$12,393 in Lawrence Unified School District 497 (FY2024), against $14,966 across Kansas. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Parents talk
What Wakarusa Township families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Wakarusa Township → 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.