Andover's Wheatland Elementary ranks No. 7 in Kansas

Wheatland Elementary scored 99.05 out of 100 in the U.S. News & World Report Best Elementary Schools rankings, placing it No. 7 among 635 ranked Kansas elementary schools.

That makes the east Wichita school the highest-rated elementary in the greater Wichita area. The school sits at 15200 E. 21st St. with a Wichita mailing address, but it belongs to Andover USD 385, not Wichita Public Schools.

The rankings, part of the 2027 Best K-8 Schools edition, cover about 46,000 public elementary schools, according to U.S. News. Schools are ranked at the state level using four equally weighted factors: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half the formula measures raw test scores. The other half puts those results in the context of student socioeconomic demographics.

Wheatland's numbers stand out. According to U.S. News, 82% of students scored at or above the proficient level in math, and 71% hit that mark in reading. Across the Andover district, those figures were 55% in math and 54% in reading. Statewide, both math and reading proficiency sat at 38%.

The school tied for No. 2 statewide in math proficiency and tied for No. 13 in reading proficiency. U.S. News rated both its math and reading performance as "well above expectations."

Wheatland serves 443 students in grades K-5 with a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio. All 28 full-time teachers are certified, according to U.S. News. The school enrolls 11% economically disadvantaged students.

The Andover district contains 11 schools and 9,460 students. Superintendent Brett White has led the district since 2017 and plans to retire in June 2027, according to the district's website. The district spends $7,358 per student each year, according to U.S. News.

No other schools in Wichita, Derby, Andover, Haysville, Maize or Bel Aire appeared in the statewide top 10.

Kansas top 10 elementary schools, per U.S. News: