When school district officials were trying to figure out in the early 1990s what to call a new school being built in southwest Lawrence, they didn’t have to look far.

Just to the south of the new school was a field of sunflowers, whose late summer blooms provided inspiration for the name.

Sunflower School, which opened in 1993, is located in southwest Lawrence at 2521 Inverness Dr. The school is adjacent to Southwest Junior High School’s campus.

Enrollment and socioeconomic mix

In November 2004, the school had an enrollment of 449 students, making it the second largest elementary school in the city. Only Deerfield, with 512 students, has more.

According to the Kansas State Board of Education Report Card, 13.94 percent of Sunflower’s students are economically disadvantaged.

Here is the school’s ethnicity breakdown: white, 77.26 percent; African American, 4.65 percent; Hispanic, 4.16 percent; other, 13.94 percent.

Reading and math

According to the state’s latest report card for Sunflower School, fifth-grade students showed a decline in reading scores and fourth-graders increased their math scores over the previous year’s students.

Sunflower Elementary School2521 Inverness Dr.Lawrence, KS 66047-1973Phone number: 785-832-5870School Web site:schools.usd497.org/sunflowerFind homes in this school district360 Photo: Second-grade classroom

Sunflower’s students scored lower 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 dropped from 84.4 percent in 2003 to 71.7 percent on the state test in 2004.

The Lawrence district’s overall reading score for fifth-graders showed that 74.8 percent were either proficent, advanced or exemplary in reading. The overall state score was 72.1 percent for those categories.

Sunflower School’s fourth-graders tested in math showed a decline from 82 percent to 78 percent between 2003 and 2004 for students scoring at either proficient, advanced or exemplary levels.

That compared with 81 percent for the entire district and 80.3 percent for the state.

Hours and staff

The school’s regular hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The school has before- and after-school programs with the Hilltop Child Development Center, 864-4940. The before-school program is from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The after-school program is from dismissal to 6 p.m.

The school’s staff includes a total of 58 teachers and support staff.

In 1998, Jacque Shipstead was named Lawrence Schools Foundation Educator of the Year. She also received an award from the Lawrence Schools Foundation in 2003 for her proposal for math literature project. Sherry Nelson, who is now retired, was named the district’s Teacher of the Year in 1998.

Sunflower School’s principal is Jill Smith, who has been principal since 2000, coming from Louisburg Elementary School in Louisburg, Kan. To arrange a visit, call 785-832-5870.