Niche Ranks Two Shawnee Co. School Districts Best In State

Niche.com recently released its 2022 Best School Districts report, shedding light on the nation’s education system. Two Shawnee County school districts ranked in the top 10 for the state of Kansas.

Auburn Washburn Unified School District 437 was recognized as the No. 5 best school system in the state. The district also ranked No. 7 for best teachers and No. 14 for best school district for athletics.

Meanwhile, Silver Lake Unified School District 372 was recognized as the No. 6 best school system in the state. Silver Lake also ranked No. 2 for best teachers in Kansas and No. 10 for safest school district.

“Auburn Washburn prides itself on providing excellence in education in Topeka and Shawnee County,” said Scott McWilliams, superintendent of Auburn Washburn USD 437. “We are excited to see Niche.com recognize the hard work of our students, teachers and staff with a top five Kansas school district ranking. Our district will continue to work to provide the best staff and facilities for student success.”

Niche is the market leader in connecting schools and colleges with prospective families and students, and more than 50 million people refer to the online platform each year. The 2022 Best School Districts in Kansas ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents, using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings and more. The methodology is described further here.

“This is a perfect example of why talented people and businesses want to locate in Shawnee County,” said Trina Goss, GO Topeka’s director of business and talent initiatives. “We’re a great place for families to learn and grow, and we love to see local students succeed. Our area school districts make that possible.”

“A key Momentum 2022 objective is developing homegrown talent, and this recognition is proof of what we already know in our community. All of our local school districts do an incredible job educating the future of Topeka and Shawnee County,” said Michelle Cuevas-Stubblefield, senior vice president of strategy for the Greater Topeka Partnership. “It’s great to see these two local districts recognized for their hard work. As we craft our community’s next five-year development plan, we hope to continue placing student success and the attraction and retention of talented young people at the forefront of our discussions and strategy.”