Kansas K-12 Email Security Intelligence:
DNS Authentication Profiling of 339 School District LEAs

Lokentra Research Team
Lokentra U.S. Email Security Index (ESI) — State Intelligence Series
April 22, 2026
research@monitorworkspace.com • monitorworkspace.com/scorecard

Abstract

We present DNS email security profiling for 339 K-12 LEAs in Kansas, of which 313 have active domains (92.3% coverage). Domains were scored on the Lokentra 100-point Email Security Index (ESI) rubric (SPF 30 pts + DKIM 30 pts + DMARC 40 pts). Kansas K-12 districts achieve an average ESI score of 52.0/100, with 27.5% earning Grade A or B (strong posture) and 26.8% receiving Grade F (minimal authentication). Only 49.8% have any DMARC record, and just 26.5% have DMARC at an enforcement level (quarantine or reject) — leaving 50.2% of districts fully vulnerable to email domain spoofing. This report provides entity-level data for all 313 scored domains including provider classification, authentication status, and ESI score, sourced from NCES CCD 2024-2025 and live DNS resolution conducted April 22, 2026.

Keywords: Kansas, K-12 email security, DMARC, SPF, school district cybersecurity, DNS authentication, Google Workspace, education technology

1. Dataset Overview

Table 1. Kansas K-12 Dataset Summary
MetricValue
Total K-12 LEAs in state339
Regular school districts287
Charter LEAs0
Other LEA types (state-operated, regional, etc.)52
LEAs with active internet domain313 (92.3%)
Domains DNS-profiled313
Data freshness (NCES CCD)2024-2025 school year
DNS scan dateApril 22, 2026

2. The Human Impact: Populations at Risk

To estimate human exposure, NCES national averages are applied to CCD 2024-2025 operational school counts: 381 students per school, 51 staff per school, and 2 parents or guardians per student. Kansas K-12 districts collectively operate approximately 1,341 schools.

Table 2. Estimated Population Exposure from K-12 Email Security Gaps — Kansas
PopulationTotal in DatasetAt Risk (No DMARC, 50.2%)Critically Exposed (Grade F, 26.8%)
Students510,921256,482136,926
Parents and guardians1,021,842512,964273,853
Staff and educators68,39134,33218,328
Total people1,601,154803,779429,109

Estimates based on NCES national averages. Individual district enrollment data can be linked via NCES LEAID for precise counts.

3. Authentication Findings

3.1 Protocol Adoption

Table 3. Email Authentication Protocol Adoption — Kansas K-12
ProtocolKansasNational K-12 (ESI)vs. National
SPF (any configuration)77.3%79.7%-2.4pp
DKIM (key published)66.5%59.6%+6.9pp
DMARC (any policy)49.8%55.5%-5.7pp
DMARC at enforcement (quarantine/reject)26.5%~21.0%+5.5pp
DMARC at reject (full enforcement)12.1%~12.2%-0.1pp
No MX records (not receiving email)7.3%~10.0%-2.7pp

3.2 ESI Grade Distribution

Table 4. ESI Score Grade Distribution — Kansas K-12
GradeScoreDistrictsShareInterpretation
A90–1004012.8%Full enforcement
B70–894614.7%Strong posture
C50–6911536.7%Partial protection
D30–49288.9%Weak configuration
F0–298426.8%Minimal/no authentication
Average score52.0 / 100

3.3 Email Provider Distribution

Table 5. Email Provider Distribution — Kansas K-12 (top providers)
ProviderDistrictsShare
Google Workspace23775.7%
Microsoft 365206.4%
Proofpoint20.6%
GoDaddy20.6%
Barracuda10.3%

4. District-Level Data

4.1 Top Performing Districts (Best ESI Scores)

Table 6. Top 15 Kansas K-12 Districts by ESI Score
DistrictDomainCountyProviderSPFDKIMDMARC PolicyScoreGrade
Goddard goddardusd.com Sedgwick County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Arkansas City usd470.com Cowley County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Crest usd479.org Anderson County — ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Newton usd373.org Harvey County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Nickerson usd309ks.org Reno County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Shawnee Heights usd450.net Shawnee County — ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Turner-Kansas City turnerusd202.org Wyandotte County Microsoft 365 ✓ ✓ reject 100 A
Ottawa usd290.org Franklin County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Rock Hills usd107.org Jewell County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Central Plains usd112.org Barton County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Butler Co Special Education Interlocal bcsbc.org Butler County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Beloit usd273.org Mitchell County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Concordia usd333.com Cloud County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Valley Center Pub Sch usd262.net Sedgwick County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A
Belle Plaine usd357.org Sumner County Google Workspace ✓ ✓ reject 95 A

4.2 Districts Most in Need of Improvement (Lowest ESI Scores)

Table 7. Bottom 15 Kansas K-12 Districts by ESI Score
DistrictDomainCountyProviderSPFDKIMDMARC PolicyScoreGrade
Triplains triplains.weebly.com Logan County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Hiawatha hiawathaschools.org Brown County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Smith Center usd237.org Smith County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
School for Blind kssb.net Wyandotte County Google Workspace ✗ ✗ — 0 F
School for Deaf ksdeaf.org Johnson County Google Workspace ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Sumner Co Educational Services d619.org Sumner County Google Workspace ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Thunder Ridge Schools usd110.net Smith County Google Workspace ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Central Kansas Cooperative in Education 305ckcie.com Saline County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
McPherson County Sp. Ed. Coop. mccsec-mcphusd.edlioschool.com McPherson County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Barton Co Coop. Program of Special Services bartoncountyspecialservices.net Barton County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Emporia usd253.org Lyon County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Argonia Public Schools argonia359.org Sumner County Google Workspace ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Brewster usd314.weebly.com Thomas County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Bucklin bucklinschools.com Ford County — ✗ ✗ — 0 F
Chase County usd284.org Chase County Google Workspace ✗ ✗ — 0 F

4.3 County-Level Summary (Top 10 Counties by District Count)

Table 8. Kansas County Distribution
CountyDistrictsWebsite Coverage
Sedgwick County14100.0%
Butler County10100.0%
Reno County8100.0%
Sumner County8100.0%
McPherson County785.7%
Johnson County7100.0%
Crawford County7100.0%
Jefferson County7100.0%
Marion County7100.0%
Leavenworth County785.7%

5. Policy Implications

These findings identify specific, actionable gaps in Kansas's K-12 email security posture. The 50.2% DMARC gap represents districts that can be impersonated by any sender, enabling phishing campaigns targeting parents, students, and educators with no authentication failure. Key observations:

6. Data Availability

The full Kansas K-12 dataset — 339 entities with NCES CCD enrichment (phone, address, grade span, school count, LEAID) and DNS authentication profiles — is available as part of the Lokentra ESI State Pack.

Table 9. Licensing Tiers
TierScopeSuggested Use
State Pack: KansasAll 339 K-12 LEAs, full DNS profile + CCD enrichmentRegional studies, state policy, outreach
K-12 NationalAll 50 states, 20,021+ K-12 LEAsNational K-12 cybersecurity research
Full Registry801,359+ entities across all sectorsComprehensive multi-sector research
API + UpdatesQuarterly re-scan, REST APILongitudinal studies, live dashboards

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Citation: Lokentra Research Team (2026). Kansas K-12 Email Security Intelligence: DNS Authentication Profiling of 339 School District LEAs. Lokentra U.S. Email Security Index (ESI) — State Intelligence Series. https://lokentra-site.web.app/research/states/ks-k12-paper.html

Data sources: NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-2025; DNS records resolved via Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1). All entity data derived from publicly accessible government registries.

National baseline figures from Lokentra U.S. Education Sector Email Security Intelligence Dataset (March 2026). See education-dataset-paper.html for full methodology.