schoolsbycounty

Seward County Schools & Education

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

84.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

84.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,449

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,009

School Score

37/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 61/100

State Score Position

#97

of 105 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Seward County

Measured School Summary

Seward County faces educational challenges with a school score of 37/100 and a graduation rate of 84.6%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,449 per pupil, Seward County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 40% below the Kansas average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 17% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Seward County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

10 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

37/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #97 of 105 Kansas counties with school score data.

Completion

84.6%

4.1 pts below the state average

Funding context

$7,449

$1,560 below the state average

School coverage

10

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Seward County has 10 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Seward County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Liberal carries most of the listed public-school system, with 8 of 10 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#97

of 105 Kansas counties with school score data. The county score is 24 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Liberal

Elementary to high school visible

4,659 students

Elementary 5Middle 2High 1Other 0

8 listed schools in this county slice.

Kismet-Plains

Elementary and high visible

474 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Liberal is the largest listed district slice, with 8 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Seward County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Seward County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Seward County, Kansas

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Streamlined public schooling in Seward County

Seward County serves 5,133 students through 10 public schools across two districts. The infrastructure includes six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools, largely concentrated in the regional hub of Liberal.

Competitive graduation rates with room for growth

The graduation rate of 84.6% is within reach of the national 87.0% average but trails the state's 88.7%. Per-pupil spending is $7,449, which is approximately $1,500 below the Kansas state average.

Liberal district serves the vast majority of students

The Liberal district manages eight schools and 4,659 students, making it the primary educational provider. No charter schools exist in the county, with all students attending traditional public district schools.

A mix of town and rural school environments

The county features an average school size of 513 students, though Liberal Sr High is much larger with 1,353 students. Educational settings are split between four town-based schools and six rural campuses.

School Overview

Total Schools

10

in Seward County

Reported Enrollment

5,133

10 schools reporting

School Districts

2

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6
Middle2
High2
Other0

2 School Districts in Seward County

10 Public Schools in Seward County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 10 of 10 matching schools

Liberal Sr High

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,353 students

Sunflower Elementary School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary582 students

Eisenhower Middle School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle559 students

Cottonwood Elementary School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary498 students

Seymour Rogers Middle School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle496 students

Prairie View Elementary School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary401 students

MacArthur Elementary School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary391 students

Meadowlark Elementary School

Liberal

Liberal, 67905 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary379 students

Southwestern Heights Jr/Sr High

Kismet-Plains

Kismet, 67859 / Rural: Remote

Record6–12High322 students

Kismet Elem

Kismet-Plains

Kismet, 67859 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–2Primary152 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,449

State avg $9,009

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Seward County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Kansas counties have the highest graduation rates?
Scott County (97.0%), Neosho County (96.6%), and Nemaha County (96.3%) currently lead Kansas among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Kansas?
Across Kansas counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,009. The highest current county values are Elk County ($16,438), Mitchell County ($12,668), and Coffey County ($12,176). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Seward County?
Seward County has a school score of 37/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Seward County?
The high school graduation rate in Seward County is 84.6%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Seward County spend per student?
Seward County spends $7,449 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Seward County, Kansas — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Seward County, Kansas?

Seward County serves 5,133 students through 10 public schools across two districts. The infrastructure includes six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools, largely concentrated in the regional hub of Liberal.

How do schools in Seward County perform academically?

The graduation rate of 84.6% is within reach of the national 87.0% average but trails the state's 88.7%. Per-pupil spending is $7,449, which is approximately $1,500 below the Kansas state average.

What are the major school districts in Seward County, Kansas?

The Liberal district manages eight schools and 4,659 students, making it the primary educational provider. No charter schools exist in the county, with all students attending traditional public district schools.

What is the school experience like in Seward County?

The county features an average school size of 513 students, though Liberal Sr High is much larger with 1,353 students. Educational settings are split between four town-based schools and six rural campuses.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.