Chances are, if you move near Deerfield School in northwest Lawrence, you can expect to see a lot of kids in your neighborhood — the school has the highest enrollment of all Lawrence’s elementary schools.

With 533 students enrolled in fall 2003, the school is the heavyweight in the local school system, with several sections at each grade level on its campus, located at 101 Lawrence Ave.

When the school was built the area was not fully developed and deer were often spotted in the field where the school was built, which suggested a good name for the school, which opened in 1968.

The Kansas State Board of Education Report Card includes the socioeconomic mix of all schools. It shows 14.77 percent of Deerfield’s students are economically disadvantaged.

Here is the building’s ethnicity breakdown: white, 82.24 percent; African American, 8.18 percent; Hispanic, 3.19 percent; other, 6.39 percent.

According to the state’s latest Report Card for Deerfield, fifth-grade students showed a increase in reading and fourth-graders improved in math over the previous year. They also scored higher than their peers in the district and across the state in both reading and math.

The number of the school’s fifth-graders who were “proficient,” “advanced,” or “exemplary” in reading went from 78.1 percent to 92.2 percent on the state test, winning the school a “Standard of Excellence” rating from the state.

The Lawrence district’s overall reading score for fifth-graders, showed that 74.2 percent were either proficent, advanced or exemplary in reading. The overall state score was 68.7 percent for those categories.

Deerfield’s fourth-graders tested in math showed an increase from 79.3 percent to 82.4 percent between 2002 and 2003 for students scoring either proficient, advanced or exemplary.
That compared with 73.3 percent for the entire districts and 73.5 percent for the state.

The school’s hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The school has a before- and after-school care program with the Boys & Girls Club, 841-6854.

The school’s staff includes a total of 61 teachers and support staff. Karen Warner, a second-grade teacher at Deerfield, in May2004 received the 37th annual Legacy Award from the Lawrence Education Assn. and KU Credit Union. Warner has taught in the district since 1984.
In addition to her classroom teaching, Warner has worked to create a language arts program for fourth-graders that will meet state standards.

In 1990, a former teacher, Tom Christie (who is now an administrator), was named Master Teacher and Teacher of the Year.

Deerfield’s principal is Suzie Soyster, who has been principal since 1992.
To arrange a visit, call 785-832-5660.