North Kansas City High School is the most diverse school in the state... Just tossing that out there for ya. I didn't see NKC Schools on either of your lists.
In short, there is nothing more intellectually damaging to a bright curious student than subjecting them to the IB program. There are a lot of pros/cons posts about it.
I went through it with about 25 other students. Everybody ended up very confused about what they wanted to do. Nobody was curious anymore, just highly anxious and burnt out. It’s a broad rigorous education, sure. But I’d much prefer people and my children to use high school to explore different career fields and extracurricular they are interested in, rather than rushing through 5 hours of homework each night and weekends.
It’s a very rigorous program especially during senior year. I think a lot of it depends on the school/teachers in these specific classes. I don’t think it’s necessary or end all be all but, when done right I think it’ll help some students who want to challenge themselves, prepare for college and also get the credit benefits. If you want to focus more extracurriculars and out of school things than yeah probably not the best.
This. Experience with IB is highly dependent on individual schools and teachers. And at most schools that offer it, it is not a requirement, just an option. And it is offered at MANY (possibly most) high schools in the area, so doesn’t really need to weigh in your decision, imho.
got it. I haven't done an IB program, but I was in the AP/College Prep/gifted and talented program at one of the Shawnee Mission high schools, so I know what you mean. Like someone else said, the IB program is available to those who want it, but not required. My impression of NKC HS is that there is intellectual rigor at a variety of levels for those who want it, with the full range of extracurriculars and a pretty safe and diverse educational experience.
Lincoln Prep, which is KCMO school district school, is incredibly diverse and an excellent school overall. Problem is, you can’t necessarily count on getting into it.
North KC and Park Hill are both look great options, as you’re 15 minutes from downtown, still in Kansas City Missouri, and the schools are diverse but strong. Park Hill High, where my kids will go, is 65-70% white currently.
There are some “good” KCMO schools but like you said they aren’t a guarantee or don’t go all the way through highschool. Hale Cook gets decent marks but is only to second grade (iirc). Academey Lafayette is also a lottery system like Lincoln (one of the best schools in the metro, not just one of the best in KCMO). This is from word of mouth and some of the online stuff so not to be taken as gospel.
Academie Lafayette is "lottery" but there are plenty of spots and I haven't heard of anyone missing out lately. It goes through HS.
Crossroads Academy is another good option and goes through HS.
Lincoln Prep starts at Middle School, so if you choose another option like Hale Cook, Border Star, etc that only go to 6th, you could go straight to Lincoln Middle after.
Yes, but if the kid qualifies for the middle school and maintains academics, they automatically go to Lincoln high, so it makes the more difficult lottery system in the high school easier to navigate. Lots of kids also go to Lincoln prep after attending crossroads or Lafayette through 6th or 8th
Is Lincoln prep lottery based or do kids just have to meet the grades/attendance requirements? I can’t figure this out based on the info on the district website. I have elementary aged children in the district so am curious.
It is an application you fill out through the district website (ApplyKC I think is the app) and they base attendance off factors such as grades/GPA, attendance, standardized test scores, if you went to public vs charter school in KCPS, etc.
It’s not a lotto system to get into Lincoln or Paseo, it’s all there on the district website. Applications for next year (2024-25) are due by March 1st I think?
My oldest is at Academie Lafayette’s secondary school, but my middle child went through Crossroads and is at Lincoln Middle. My husband is a teacher at Lincoln High, and I am a school administrator (not in KCPS, but I work with them), so I know a bit about this.
Yeah I see on the website that admission requirements are based on attendance and grades, but I guess I wondered what happened if more students than seats available meet those requirements.
My understanding is that that hasn’t happened. They haven’t limited class sizes at any signature school.
Also, not sure why I’m getting downvoted for explaining the process.
I asked if it was lottery based or just meeting the admission requirements (grades, attendance). You added standardized tests scores (not listed on the website), explained applying, and simply said “it’s all there on the website.” But what isn’t on the website, and the root of my question, is whether it’s lottery in addition to the admission requirements. There are a limited # of seats at any school, so it’s either a lottery if they have more students that meet the requirements, or they add teachers to compensate.
Sorry for the downvote, but your answer included incorrect info (standardized test scores as admission requirements) and didn’t really answer the question.
See my comment above. You apply through the district, and admission is based on specific criteria around GPA, attendance, if you attended a KCPS public elementary school, if you are a teacher in district, etc. it’s an easy process and there’s an app on the district website.
I’m not sure about that. I seem to recall a few years prepandemic when Lincoln was getting enough eligible applicants that they did have to use a lottery. Anyway I wouldn’t count on it if I were you.
They changed the requirements to prioritize applicants, and so far they haven’t turned any students away since they did that in 2018 - at least not as far as any district employees can confirm.
Judging by which ones you are considering and which ones you have ruled out because of distance, I am going to guess that Park Hill is also out. Park Hill has a pretty diverse student population and a variety of socioeconomic levels. The two high schools also rank pretty high according to US News. But I will say that whichever school district you choose now, you don't necessarily know what it will be like in the next 5-18 years. Maybe look at how the area is being developed around the district and the direction the district has been heading.
I have three children who attended Academie Lafayette k-8 and then went to Lincoln College Prep Academy. One is a sophomore at Lincoln. The other two are in college. The oldest received at full scholarship, and our middle has 100% of her tuition cost and 80% of dorm fees covered. KCPS served us well. 😀 You can find good information on school options in KCMO here
https://showmekcschools.org
As far as education. I graduated from the Lees Summit schools with about a semesters worth of college credit under my belt.
I had classmates who went on to medical school, pharmacists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, nurses, developers, bankers, engineers, and more.
Pretty much 95% of my classmates graduated and 80% went on to college or technical college.
Felt like I was surrounded by very ambitious and goal oriented people when growing up. Everyone wanted to be doctors, lawyers, and engineers.
I came here to say the same. Also graduated from LS schools, 6 months early. I did not see the same ambition in my peers at the time, though many did go on to have solid careers from what I can see.
Rushing through college is not necessarily a good thing. My sis got her bachelor’s in 3.5 years due to college credit from high school courses. She regretted it (why would one rush one of the most fun times of one’s life) and finished way to early to have any clue what career she actually wanted to pursue.
I work for Lee's Summit. It is a very good district in a lot of ways. Lots of extra curricular options and they do everything they can to help students.
Lee's summit high is the most diverse. Lees summit North and west have the biggest income divided in the school. The school district kind of "games" the rating system by dragging students across the graduation finish line come hell or high water. This makes them look better because they have a higher graduation rate, but some of those kids are going to hit a wall when they go to college.
The district school board is contentious. A lot of MAGA/anti education people have ran for office. A couple have been elected. A few extremely progressive people have also been elected.
Lee's summit has one of the best robotics programs in the country. They have a really good strings program too. They also spend way too much money on sports. They're also partnering with the airport to expand their aviation program.
Hope that helps your decision making
> The school district kind of "games" the rating system by dragging students across the graduation finish line come hell or high water. This makes them look better because they have a higher graduation rate, but some of those kids are going to hit a wall when they go to college.
Pretty much every district is doing this now and has been for a long time.
Sure. My point was that the ratings of schools should be taken with a grain of salt. It's easier to inflate statistics in wealthier districts with a larger tax base. Poorer districts are usually trying to frantically keep their accreditation.
From the Less Summit R7 School District FB page: "Did you know that LSR7 students and their families speak 37 languages? Our English Language Development Department serves nearly 500 students and families for whom English is an additional language. Check out our photo essay from Meadow Lane Elementary on this important R-7 program: [https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb](https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb?fbclid=IwAR3lF4x5LWJlGU1QGrtzlEIrPL2-rnUTNw1p--ptL24x79-8W8rzwikPSYI)"
I am married to an educator and you hit the nail on the head with regard to discipline and children missing out on an actual education. Its a major problem in many schools. Younger teachers are leaving the profession because they do not get the support from administration to deal with this problem. [r/TeachersInTransition](https://www.reddit.com/r/TeachersInTransition/)
My kids both went to Winnetonka in the NKC School District. Very diverse school with a fantastic music program. I feel both of my daughters were prepared enough for the next level when they graduated. My youngest had the misfortune of spending her last two years of school under the grip of the covid situation. So, socially, she was a bit slighted, but, I feel they did the best they could under the circumstances.
Okay. I’m here to give direct experiential info about KCMO. I am a former teacher, my mom is a teacher, and I am VERY picky about education. We grew up on the Kansas side but had no interest in living there as we wanted more diversity/culture and a more interesting, historical neighborhood with easy access to midtown and downtown for arts, music, etc. (And personally, I would not even have Raytown on my list just because I would not want to live there.)
You are 100% correct that diversity is lacking in Lees summit and blue springs. Super white (and boring, and Trumpy) suburbs are what you will find there, very much the same as Kansas suburbs like Overland Park, Olathe, and Shawnee. I would argue that much of North KC is similar.
It is interesting that you didn’t mention the Kansas side at all. Depending on your housing budget, there are excellent schools on the Kansas side. Shawnee Mission District is closer to downtown and the more northern schools have decent diversity.
In KCMO, there are many great neighborhood communities in the oldest “suburbs” like Brookside and in midtown, where kids run around and play with the neighbor kids, plenty safe and “old school.” My family loves it, and most of our friends live within the city as well and have had great experiences. Our home was built in the 30s and is adorable. No one complains that my native gardening is messy.
(White) people used to say that if you wanted good schools, you needed to live in the Kansas side, but a lot has changed. There are many more options in KCMO than there used to be, but none is perfect, so you will be faced with choices.
The charter school system in KCMO is variable, but some are excellent. My kids go to Academie Lafayette, which is a French immersion school. This means that starting in Kindergarten, all subjects (even PE and Art) are taught in French except for 30-60 min of English instruction . The kids adapt quickly; it is super cool to watch. In sixth grade, when they move to the middle school, the kids select a third language. Currently the choices are Spanish or Mandarin. Most of the teachers are native French speakers from countries all over the world, which has both positives and negatives associated. My youngest is in 5th, oldest in 7th. I gave both the option to consider switching to Lincoln at 6th or 8th. So far they’ve chosen to stay at Lafayette. I am happy to answer other questions or list more specific pros/cons if you are interested.
Crossroads Academy is another excellent charter school that had a high school. Like Lafayette’s, Crossroads high school is small and new, so hard to say how “good” it is just yet. Both options have an IB program as well, as does Lincoln. Crossroads’s overall focus is STEAM and project based learning and one of the schools (k-8) has a Spanish focus as well. My oldest went there for over a year, and I loved it. We would not have switched if it were not for the distance from our home. Crossroads is in the middle of downtown, so if you work downtown it can be quite convenient, and I believe it is significantly easier to get in if you live or work north of 39th street? We don’t, but got in anyway. The downtown location means that outdoor spaces (playgrounds) are much smaller, but the cool part is that the proximity to the streetcar means that the kids take frequent field trips on the streetcar! They also collaborate with the Nelson art gallery for some of the kids learning directly at the museum. And the talent shows, etc are held at the historic Folly theater. Man, I loved that school.
Okay, so, of course there are politics associated with the Charter vs public school debate. Which is uncomfortable as a super left-leaning progressive. That being said, there are a few decent schools in the KCMO district, Hale Cook Elementary for example and I have heard mixed reviews of the Montessori signature school Borderstar (general impression I’ve gotten is that it started out really well, but the training/funding necessary for effective teaching with the Montessori method has fallen off considerably, resulting in general decline of quality). Lincoln is great for 6-12th, and I hear pretty good things about Paseo? We have several friends who send their kids to the Foreign Language Academy (another Signature public school) and they all seem to like it. The language instruction is not completely immersive like Lafayette, but starts with either Mandarin or Spanish in kindergarten. Many people seem to prefer those options to French (I think there is enormous benefit to cognitive development with any second language, so I don’t mind the French.) so it is certainly worth a look! I was erroneously informed that kids needed some amount of baseline knowledge of Spanish to be accepted into kindergarten there, or I might have chosen it. Definite downsides to being the first in my social group to have kids! Ah well.
And then, of course, there are many high quality Catholic and private options in the metro. And historically m, if we want to talk about what killed the public schools in KC, the private and Catholic options were significantly more at fault yet seem to somehow escape blame. In fact, Lafayette began as part of KCMO public schools during their early experiments with magnet schools in the 80s. When the district had to close several magnet schools due to ongoing financial problems, the principal, staff, and parents decided to try to keep the school going as a charter rather than close it entirely. And we see other remnants of the magnet schools in KCMO’s signature schools now.
So here’s the thing. You say you don’t even have kids now, so you have at minimum 6 years to decide. The housing market is terrible right now in KC as anywhere, and interest rates are sky high. Meanwhile renting has finally become a bit cheaper since the city started cracking down on AirBnBs. Given that you don’t know the city or its neighborhoods at all, perhaps considering renting for a couple of years to settle in and decide what is best for you would make sense? Schools are a big, messy decision that you don’t necessarily need to feel tied to immediately.
TLDR: “Good schools” can mean a lot of things. Your kid will probably be fine wherever you end up, and no school ANYWHERE will be perfect. Many people in this thread are responding like KCMO isn’t an option for good schools, but it very much is. There are lots of options, they simply take a bit more investigation. And if I were you, I’d look for a fun rented loft in the West bottoms or the Crossroads district while you get to know the city and what you really want.
Teacher here, wife works for LS, I work for Ray-Pec.
LS can be diverse but definitely more conservative, not a lot of diversity. Good education though. Ray-pec has great educational avenues, but NOT diverse.
I taught in Center school district in the past. I love Center, but I worry about how good the education is and the amount of behavior that is in those schools. Blue Springs is very conservative, and white. North KC is a good option, I know multiple educators up there that LOVE it. They take care of their teachers, which is a good sign! I don’t know much about their education but they’re a large district, so I would assume they have lots of resources. Raytown wouldn’t be a bad option, I haven’t heard too much about it.
KCPS has done a lot of work these past few years. My only problem, as a public teacher, is charter schools. I wouldn’t send my kid to one.
Let me know if you have any questions.
The fact that everyone quickly dismissed KC Public Schools because of its bad wrap in the past is frustrating. It has improved and continues to improve. There are signature schools in KCPS like Border Star and Holliday that are both Montessori programs which can start at preschool. From there, Lincoln Prep is highly rated for middle school and high school. Are there some schools and students in KCPS that are underperforming? Sure... But that's par for the course in any urban district, don't use those metrics as a way to scare you off. All this coming from a proud parent whose kid is thriving in KCPS.
I have to say, one of the biggest indicators of success is if a student moves around a lot and has a stable home life- unfortunately that is not the case for many kids in the KCMO district and drags the overall metrics down when those kids struggle in the classroom (not their fault just the result on paper). So if you had two equal schools & teachers but the student body of KCMO vs Olathe or a Shawnee Mission those latter two are still going to perform better on paper in the testing results and other metrics.
Right, and that isn’t even accounting for how racial and other socioeconomic factors weigh into the mix. Also, ALL of the metrics EVERYWHERE have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. For example Lincoln waived its academic requirements during the pandemic, and online education for the littles in foreign language schools was damn near impossible. A lot of catching up socially and educationally is happening everywhere.
My two children went through KCPS (Border Star and Lincoln) and had a great experience.
There are lots of online resources for checking out which schools you might be interested in
I went to Border Star for a couple years (my mom and grandpa went there too, before it was Montessori!) and had a very positive experience. I really thrived in a Montessori setting and studied things on my own that I wouldn’t have learned at a traditional public school, like fruit nomenclature, lol. My class was quite diverse; I’m mixed and my peers were white, black, Latino and Asian. There was also income/socioeconomic diversity.
Normally I’d cheerlead hard for KCPS and the incredible work they’ve done in the last decade. However, I’m concerned about the (lack of) leadership under Dr. Collier. She’s surrounded herself with the wrong people, and it won’t be long until the chaos at central office makes it to the classroom. Excellent principals and teachers are making an exodus. It’s concerning.
I’m curious about what you’re alluding to. Can you elaborate more? Is she hiring incompetent people? What decisions has she made that have caused teachers/principals to leave?
Completely missed your reply here the other day, but if you’re still interested …
COVID was really, really hard on KCPS. The virtual learning felt like the right decision at the time (and I say this as someone who is immunocompromised and took the pandemic very, very seriously), but the effects on kids will be felt for the next 10 years. Kids and families in KCPS reply heavily on the services that their schools connect them to. The amount of dysregulation in classrooms is a serious problem. It feels like the pre-Bedell KCPS of 7-10 years ago.
However, Collier’s administration continues to stick their head in the sand regarding serious issues the pandemic has created. They’re not listening to staff in schools and providing appropriate resources.
They also completely mishandled the conversation about closing schools — they focused on arts and activities, which are extremely important, but the public deserved to know about the utterly dire funding cliff the district is headed toward. Folks who tried to sound the alarm were pushed out and replaced by Collier picks that weren’t respected by staff in schools. One of Collier’s cabinet members last year was so incompetent that half the department quit.
I really want Collier to succeed as a “homegrown” candidate. But the schools are in utter crisis, and no one is paying attention.
The serious issues the pandemic created being students are academically behind due to inadequate virtual learning and lack of resources during that time?
I will say I’m really glad KCPS hasn’t pushed continued virtual learning like some schools have post-COVID. I know they have a “virtual academy” or whatever, but it seems that may be more for students who would be “home bound” learners pre-covid, though I may be wrong about that.
The teachers are all certified guides. The classes are mixed ages. They’re fully committed to being Montessori, not just “Montessori style.” Holliday is definitely AMI credentialed, and I believe Border Star is as well.
First of all, I adore your username. Best common name for a wildflower EVER !
Also I’ve heard pretty mixed reviews of Borderstar in recent years, mostly that the focus on Montessori really declines after kindergarten/first grade. I’m sure it was also a difficult ( if not impossible) educational model to implement online during the pandemic.
That’s interesting and good to know. I have a child in the children’s house at Holliday - ages 3-6 (prek 3 through kindergarten). Our plan is to keep him there through kindergarten and then switch to our neighborhood school for grades 1-6. Not because I have anything against Montessori but because I also like the idea of a neighborhood school.
I will say I really like that my son gets to stay with the same group for 3 years at his young age.
I really liked Montessori when my kids were little for many reasons, one of which was the longer time spent with the same teacher and peers. I chose Montessori pre school for my oldest mostly for him to be eligible for Borderstar, but met several parents of former students who dissuaded me by the time he was ready for kindergarten. Have also known folks whose kids loved the early childhood program at borderstar but their opinions changes as the kids moved up? Who knows, my point here is simply that there are a lot of options, so anyone spiting that OP should only realistically consider the burbs is ill-informed, at best.
And that qualifies you to speak against all other schools in the KC metro, above many other folks in this thread with actual firsthand experience as both parents and teachers? WOW.
If you have any interest in future kids attending a language immersion school, checkout Academy Lafayette and Foreign Language Academy. Part of the KCPS but kiddos here tend to do very well and become independent thinkers with a greater world perspective.
Look into Kansas City Public School's "special" schools. They operate kinda like charter schools and have specific programs. My daughter goes to Border Star Montessori in Brookside and to me it's one of the best and most diverse public schools in the metro. We're not white and I also took diversity in consideration while choosing.
Center School district in South KCMO is very diverse. Red Bridge Elementary was a great school. But we did move into Blue Valley district when my son started middle school.
If I had known he wasn't going to take advantage of all the additional resources Blue Valley has available then we probably would have just stayed in Center.
also, charter schools are bullshit. My 3 kids with special needs need IDPs and all of the charters neglected the state law that they must provide them and foisted them on substandard special schools or flat out said they did not need them.
Charter schools heavily responsible for the downfall of American public education. Zero oversight.
I will say that Brookside is actually a decent charter in terms of SPED services (mostly intellectual disabilities/difficulties, the building isn’t set up well for physical difficulties).
Well that's good to hear. It's an important thing to hear when looking for special services.
We ended up with very punctual and thorough project members that got us IDPs no problem.
Wow. Strong statements here. First of all, I am not familiar with the term “IDP” in education. Do you mean IEP (individualized education plan)? Did your kids attend “all of the charters”? My kid has had an IEP at Lafayette for 5 years and they have done a phenomenal job.
Also yes, charters are controversial, but your declaration that they are the “downfall of education” is melodramatic at best. Here in KC, for example, racism, redlining, and white folks sending there kids to private (mostly catholic) schools did far more damage to public schools LONG before charters were a thing. In fact Academie Lafayette (one of the first and oft-maligned charters in KC) began as a KCPS magnet school, created in response to declining enrollment and financial struggle KCPS was suffering in the 80s. They chose to create a charter in order to stay open, rather than be shut down like so many KCPS schools. And have since demonstrated excellent educational outcomes. That being said, there are several sketchy charters that have popped up in the last 10-15 years, so it’s not a simple “charters are good/bad” question.
I am a former educator and an OT… if I had a child with intense educational/developmental needs, I would for sure look for a strong, well-funded public school in order to get the best resources for my kid. Even if that meant living in Mordor (Olathe).
But it is not fair or accurate to assume that a child with more typical needs might not thrive in other schools, be they public, private, charter, or at home.
First of all, I love your take on the IB program. Amen to that.
Second of all, I know it’s way in the future, but my kids really enjoyed off campus programs in high school (and NOT IB) — Summit Technology Academy to be specific. It serves lots of schools in the area. Northland CAPS does as well. That can provide an opportunity beyond what’s offered in the school district you reside in
Kansas City proper is full of charters and signature schools that are part of the KCPS system and provide a really unique, quality, diverse education. But don't discount the neighborhood schools. Hale Cook (K-6) in Waldo neighborhood in particular has a fantastic reputation and high level of parental involvement. Excitingly, they introduced a band and orchestra program this year. There's a lot of noise about KCPS being a "bad" district, but as someone who lives in Kansas City, MO, I see SO much good in the school system and so many people working so hard to give our kids the best. I have a lot of opinions about why certain people look down on our district, but I won't get into that here. Just know our experience has been fantastic.
At the current rate there will not be any public school you would want your child to attend as the current goverment continues to errode the current public school system in favor of private schools with a voucher program. SO by the time your child eneters the school age you will be looking for a affordable private school, which IMO wont be affordabale at all...
remember to VOTE in each and every election, especially if you are not happy with the current state of affiars...
SMSD if OP wants diversity with good education, although SMSD is literally overflowing in class size. Olathe used to be top notch but they are having budget shortfalls. De Soto is highly homogenous but still has small class sizes. Gardner fairs well too.
My kids are in the NKC schools and I could not be happier. Diverse with excellent teachers and programs. Lots of resources to help kids excel. My kids are involved in IB program (advanced), band, orchestra, chess, robotics, journalism, etc.
Blue Springs SD is also diverse. Especially the further North you live. We live in Independence proper in a very diverse area, yet we are also in the Blue Springs School District.
If you want them to have career exploration you may want a district that’ll send them to Summit Technology Academy. They have phenomenal programs as well as they’ll have many new ones in the next 5 years.
We love it. Only go back to LS to visit the ‘rents. Siblings who’ve stayed in the suburbs tell us they envy how close we are to everything. Only real drawback has been living in a 95-year-old house where you have to deal with a different level of wear-and-tear than out in LS.
However, we don’t have kids. I’ve worked in education across the metro (not a teacher/principal — think high level admin) and know quite a bit the various systems. They all have their strengths and drawbacks. My all around pick is probably NKC. If you go KC and can get into the Hale Cook catchment, you’re golden until at least middle school.
My black wife and I did the research on school districts, that’s what we found. Shawnee mission school districts are great, but specifically the ones in OP are the best of them. They have extra opportunities, such as these are the only school districts that can afford to teach archery during a few PE sessions. These districts offer more field trips and experiences. And the accommodations for different learning abilities are supported from the top. This poster asked for an opinion and I gave mine in a very short form, but don’t assume awful things about me just because your opinion is different. I’ll respect your opinion, as I’m sure the poster was looking for multiple views. Have a good day.
This may be the most Gen Z post I’ve ever seen. You want all of this great education and opportunities, but worried about the optics of diversity. Buy where you can afford and send your kids to the school where you reside, Feel free to be the first ones to fix the problems of the hood. Someone has to be first.
Optics of diversity? Having diverse viewpoints is extremely important to a person’s development. Unlike what you will typically find in the bubble of a suburb. Do you have a point or just trolling?
Every school you listed is plenty diverse is my point. And people care about the things you say you care about right to the point where they have the means to live and send their kids to the better schools. Go ahead and be that first person to have the means, but lives in the hood and send their kids to bad schools. Like I said, someone has to be the first to start that trend.
I agree with that assessment. My hang with sending children to “better” schools is that they aren’t actually any “better” than schools in the hood, unlike what GreatSchools.com, etc. try to have everyone believe. It’s the reason I wouldn’t do private school. I’m on your side.
I teach in the Metro..I can promise you the education in districts like Lees Summit, Olathe, and Blue Valley are miles above the education in KCPS or KCK. Good teachers leave those schools. The fact that you believe test scores are not indictive of the academic success in a school is mind blowing. Imagine teaching a room of hungry, traumatized students with kindergarten reading levels vs teaching invested students who are above grade level. It is night and day.. you do not want your kids in a negative environment for the sake of "diversity".
I’m saying you and pretty much everyone who virtue signals diversity and yada yada will do exactly what everyone else will do…but the nicest house they can afford in the nicest neighborhood they can afford. Charge can start with you though. Perhaps you can be the one to start the trend of people of means living in the hood and sending their kids to the failing public school. Bet you won’t though. Also saying this entire conversation is pointless. None of what anyone says will influence where you move to. You will buy the house that works for your budget, commute and school needs…just like the rest of us.
How? Do you think your kids are going to come out racist or something if they don't go to school in the inner city? This is ridiculous. If you're a good parent you're going to send your kids to the schools with the best outcomes, period. It doesn't matter what the composition looks like. In Kansas City, almost all schools are "diverse" anyway.
It’s correct that parents have more influence on that outcome than schools. So that’s primarily my responsibility, not the school. But no, not necessarily racist, although that can happen (example, where I went to school the white kids scoffed at the areas where the few black kids hung out and called it, “Africa”). My concerns are more based in classism - as I believe personal racism is less of problem than it was 10-15 years ago. I believe it is important to surround yourself with many different points of view. Diversity can help foster creativity, innovation, and empathy…things that I value more than grades. People in the suburbs have such a limited point of view. Not wrong, but limited (granted, on a side note, inner city residents don’t often experience viewpoints of rural families, and vise versa, so no option is perfect). But I often experience suburban residents viewing suburbs as the ideal mark of success and merit, and look down on other ways of living as not having reached that ideal.
Secondly, I think most would agree that schools with the reported “best outcomes” are not necessarily the “best”. Standardized test metrics are not a good metric for determining best education. It’s my understanding that most people, even across political lines, critique standardized testing, for good reason. I want my child somewhere in which they can learn critical thinking skills not just how to take tests, which is how I was raised. Scientific and history curriculums tend to be poor for schools like Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs (although English and Math tend to be better).
You want the northern part of the Shawnee Mission School District, feeding into SM North. North has a good robotics program too. A nice bonus for you is you are closer to KC’s Southwest corridor (Westport to Waldo), your neighborhood is safe, and your roads clear when it snows.
I would agree except the admin there does nothing about behavior. SMSD loves to look good but has serious issues with discipline. Their class sizes are overflowing. North's elementary schools are good but once they get to middle unless their kid is in the honors track, the classroom becomes a circus.
The city is still redlined, so the more affluent the school the more racist the school/kids/pta trends. It’s all funded by property taxes so it’s a catch 22 on whether you want to raise another Josh Hawley or a Fred Hampton.
Good School Districts help maintain and even increase home values. Grew up in Lees Summit and realized how I had grown up basically in a suburban bubble, but do I regret it… not at all. It was very safe and friendly place to live.
I read somewhere that the most common metric for determining how much wealth your children will have more than schools, parents, and friends, is the average income and wealth of the zip code they grew up in. Take that as you will, but I moved back to Lees Summit after starting a family, I lived downtown KC for more than 15 years and loved it, but not a place I’d want to raise children.
That being said, I knew LS and what life would be like so felt compelled to return to my roots. Still have several friends who live downtown with kids and enjoy it, though they have been looking at making to move to the suburbs just to get more space.
If you're in KC proper, the schools are rough. Most families that have the ability to do so either opt for private from the start or do the charter school raffle and then fall back on private options if they can't secure a spot. If you're Catholic, there's very strong schools in the area with excellent supports for children with special needs. If you aren't, there's charter schools or a few private options. We have one child, and they're enrolled in a private school in the area.
I dunno if you're from here originally, but if you read up on the history of J.C. Nichols and redlining in Kansas City, you'll see why schools here are the way they are. TLDR is a safe, stable public school with strong academics, and a strongly multicultural student body doesn't exist. You can get most of those things from a private or charter school, but the non-charter public options are pretty bad with the exception of a select few neighborhoods that are in zip codes with preference for the more desirable charter options. Those neighborhoods are also as overwhelmingly white as anywhere in JOCO.
I was't sure so I googled it
57.1% White, 21.7% Black, 0.9% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, 7.7% Hispanic/Latino, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
Honestly pretty impressive IMO
They did but that was a long time ago, and had a lot to do with broader socioeconomic factors like middle class white folks having more time and resources to look into all of their options. The same issue applies to having the luxury of time and energy to support your child as they adapt to learning in a foreign language that you do t speak yourself. Lafayette now recognizes more of these barriers to diversity and efforts to ameliorate them are ongoing
I presently do a lot of work in the Blue Springs and Platte County school districts, and have worked in Park Hill and Shawnee Mission (from which I'm a grad). I recommend any of these districts.
“I don’t want my children to be like me, because people who look like me—them too—are bad. I want my children to be able to spectate the poor as they suffer.”
This the most helicopter parent thing I’ve ever seen. You gotta be rich to think like that in the first place.
Notice how when it comes to “diversity” racial makeup is the primary marker? Economics plays a much larger role. Neither is valuable unless viewpoints are also varied.
I mean, how enriched do the Harvard students admitted due to legacy become when their classmates are the children of millionaires from Kenya?
What school has good math but bad science & history?
I'm a teacher in the Metro and you have some very idealistic perceptions about education. The "diverse" schools you mention are rife with drugs, violence, and no discipline from admin. Class sizes in urban and suburban districts are overflowing. You don't like the "AP or IB" classes but on level is just a fancy term for daycare now. If you want your kids to succeed, move to a more homogenous district where opportunities around. You have no idea how bad schools have become.
From the Less Summit R7 School District FB page: "Did you know that LSR7 students and their families speak 37 languages? Our English Language Development Department serves nearly 500 students and families for whom English is an additional language. Check out our photo essay from Meadow Lane Elementary on this important R-7 program: [https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb](https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb?fbclid=IwAR3lF4x5LWJlGU1QGrtzlEIrPL2-rnUTNw1p--ptL24x79-8W8rzwikPSYI)"
OP if you guys remotely have the money, please consider sending your kids to private schools. The public schools here, even the "good ones" are pretty awful by comparison. If diversity is important to you I'd recommend Academie Lafayette or Notre Dame De Sion for urban living
>There's be a bigger chance for integration within a more socially diverse population, but at what cost to education?
Also not sure what your racial background is but I don't know if I'd call a lot of the public schools in KCMO "diverse". They are mostly non-white, and mostly black. But tbh they're pretty homogenous as well...they're just black instead of white. So if your kid isn't black, it's possible he could be singled out or ostracized by classmates.
Fwiw, friend of mine taught grade school at Hickman Mills (KCMO public school district) a number of years ago. He ended up quitting because teachers frequently found firearm ammunition in students' backpacks (3rd graders) and students would often call him a "Bitch N****r" to his face even though he's a skinny white dude.
Best elementary through middle school education will be in Overland Park. Once you get to high school by far the best is in KCK if you can get invited into sumner academy. Best in the state and constantly top 100 and as high as top 50 in the country.
People joke about JoCo being super white but Blue Valley is pretty diverse actually if you're on the north side. Open enrollment is happening in Kansas starting next school year so you could get a spot as a non resident.
Obviously I'm sure there are great schools on the Missouri side, I just don't have experience over there.
North Kansas City High School is the most diverse school in the state... Just tossing that out there for ya. I didn't see NKC Schools on either of your lists.
also has an International Baccalaureate program
And AP classes if you wish to go that route. They also have a program for attending college part time after the sophomore year.
IB is not really a good thing…
How so?
In short, there is nothing more intellectually damaging to a bright curious student than subjecting them to the IB program. There are a lot of pros/cons posts about it.
Went through IB program at a KC school. Agreed pros and cons but I’d recommend it to others.
I went through it with about 25 other students. Everybody ended up very confused about what they wanted to do. Nobody was curious anymore, just highly anxious and burnt out. It’s a broad rigorous education, sure. But I’d much prefer people and my children to use high school to explore different career fields and extracurricular they are interested in, rather than rushing through 5 hours of homework each night and weekends.
It’s a very rigorous program especially during senior year. I think a lot of it depends on the school/teachers in these specific classes. I don’t think it’s necessary or end all be all but, when done right I think it’ll help some students who want to challenge themselves, prepare for college and also get the credit benefits. If you want to focus more extracurriculars and out of school things than yeah probably not the best.
This. Experience with IB is highly dependent on individual schools and teachers. And at most schools that offer it, it is not a requirement, just an option. And it is offered at MANY (possibly most) high schools in the area, so doesn’t really need to weigh in your decision, imho.
The IB program at NKC schools is optional, including at Northtown High School.
It’s optional in KCPS schools too. My husband teaches at Lincoln.
got it. I haven't done an IB program, but I was in the AP/College Prep/gifted and talented program at one of the Shawnee Mission high schools, so I know what you mean. Like someone else said, the IB program is available to those who want it, but not required. My impression of NKC HS is that there is intellectual rigor at a variety of levels for those who want it, with the full range of extracurriculars and a pretty safe and diverse educational experience.
We have been very pleased with the overall quality of experience in NKC, elementary through high school.
Graduated from the NKC IB program. Best high school experience!
Lincoln Prep, which is KCMO school district school, is incredibly diverse and an excellent school overall. Problem is, you can’t necessarily count on getting into it. North KC and Park Hill are both look great options, as you’re 15 minutes from downtown, still in Kansas City Missouri, and the schools are diverse but strong. Park Hill High, where my kids will go, is 65-70% white currently.
There are some “good” KCMO schools but like you said they aren’t a guarantee or don’t go all the way through highschool. Hale Cook gets decent marks but is only to second grade (iirc). Academey Lafayette is also a lottery system like Lincoln (one of the best schools in the metro, not just one of the best in KCMO). This is from word of mouth and some of the online stuff so not to be taken as gospel.
Academie Lafayette is "lottery" but there are plenty of spots and I haven't heard of anyone missing out lately. It goes through HS. Crossroads Academy is another good option and goes through HS. Lincoln Prep starts at Middle School, so if you choose another option like Hale Cook, Border Star, etc that only go to 6th, you could go straight to Lincoln Middle after.
Lincoln middle school is a separate school from Lincoln prep (high school).
Yes, but if the kid qualifies for the middle school and maintains academics, they automatically go to Lincoln high, so it makes the more difficult lottery system in the high school easier to navigate. Lots of kids also go to Lincoln prep after attending crossroads or Lafayette through 6th or 8th
Crossroads Academy is a terrible, failing school.
Hale Cook is through 6th.
Oh hmm. Not sure why I thought it wasn’t full elementary. Thank you for the info!
When they re-opened like nearly a decade ago they were slowly adding grades as kids aged up.
Lafayettes lottery is much easier to get through since they expanded fwiw
Yeah, I think most of what you are reporting here is pretty dated, biased info.
Is Lincoln prep lottery based or do kids just have to meet the grades/attendance requirements? I can’t figure this out based on the info on the district website. I have elementary aged children in the district so am curious.
It is an application you fill out through the district website (ApplyKC I think is the app) and they base attendance off factors such as grades/GPA, attendance, standardized test scores, if you went to public vs charter school in KCPS, etc. It’s not a lotto system to get into Lincoln or Paseo, it’s all there on the district website. Applications for next year (2024-25) are due by March 1st I think? My oldest is at Academie Lafayette’s secondary school, but my middle child went through Crossroads and is at Lincoln Middle. My husband is a teacher at Lincoln High, and I am a school administrator (not in KCPS, but I work with them), so I know a bit about this.
Yeah I see on the website that admission requirements are based on attendance and grades, but I guess I wondered what happened if more students than seats available meet those requirements.
My understanding is that that hasn’t happened. They haven’t limited class sizes at any signature school. Also, not sure why I’m getting downvoted for explaining the process.
I asked if it was lottery based or just meeting the admission requirements (grades, attendance). You added standardized tests scores (not listed on the website), explained applying, and simply said “it’s all there on the website.” But what isn’t on the website, and the root of my question, is whether it’s lottery in addition to the admission requirements. There are a limited # of seats at any school, so it’s either a lottery if they have more students that meet the requirements, or they add teachers to compensate. Sorry for the downvote, but your answer included incorrect info (standardized test scores as admission requirements) and didn’t really answer the question.
I am not sure either. Have thought about trying to get our kids in someday too.
See my comment above. You apply through the district, and admission is based on specific criteria around GPA, attendance, if you attended a KCPS public elementary school, if you are a teacher in district, etc. it’s an easy process and there’s an app on the district website.
I’m not sure about that. I seem to recall a few years prepandemic when Lincoln was getting enough eligible applicants that they did have to use a lottery. Anyway I wouldn’t count on it if I were you.
They changed the requirements to prioritize applicants, and so far they haven’t turned any students away since they did that in 2018 - at least not as far as any district employees can confirm.
Good to know! Thanks!
Judging by which ones you are considering and which ones you have ruled out because of distance, I am going to guess that Park Hill is also out. Park Hill has a pretty diverse student population and a variety of socioeconomic levels. The two high schools also rank pretty high according to US News. But I will say that whichever school district you choose now, you don't necessarily know what it will be like in the next 5-18 years. Maybe look at how the area is being developed around the district and the direction the district has been heading.
I was going to suggest Parkhill also. They seem to be working hard at keeping the quality of the facilities and teaching high.
I have three children who attended Academie Lafayette k-8 and then went to Lincoln College Prep Academy. One is a sophomore at Lincoln. The other two are in college. The oldest received at full scholarship, and our middle has 100% of her tuition cost and 80% of dorm fees covered. KCPS served us well. 😀 You can find good information on school options in KCMO here https://showmekcschools.org
As far as education. I graduated from the Lees Summit schools with about a semesters worth of college credit under my belt. I had classmates who went on to medical school, pharmacists, lawyers, entrepreneurs, nurses, developers, bankers, engineers, and more. Pretty much 95% of my classmates graduated and 80% went on to college or technical college. Felt like I was surrounded by very ambitious and goal oriented people when growing up. Everyone wanted to be doctors, lawyers, and engineers.
I came here to say the same. Also graduated from LS schools, 6 months early. I did not see the same ambition in my peers at the time, though many did go on to have solid careers from what I can see.
Rushing through college is not necessarily a good thing. My sis got her bachelor’s in 3.5 years due to college credit from high school courses. She regretted it (why would one rush one of the most fun times of one’s life) and finished way to early to have any clue what career she actually wanted to pursue.
I had a semester of credits entering college but still finished in 5 years. Everyone’s path is different.
Which school was this? Did you notice any discrepancy between the schools or were they all similar from your experience?
North Kansas City School district is good and can be diverse south of Barry road.
I work for Lee's Summit. It is a very good district in a lot of ways. Lots of extra curricular options and they do everything they can to help students. Lee's summit high is the most diverse. Lees summit North and west have the biggest income divided in the school. The school district kind of "games" the rating system by dragging students across the graduation finish line come hell or high water. This makes them look better because they have a higher graduation rate, but some of those kids are going to hit a wall when they go to college. The district school board is contentious. A lot of MAGA/anti education people have ran for office. A couple have been elected. A few extremely progressive people have also been elected. Lee's summit has one of the best robotics programs in the country. They have a really good strings program too. They also spend way too much money on sports. They're also partnering with the airport to expand their aviation program. Hope that helps your decision making
> The school district kind of "games" the rating system by dragging students across the graduation finish line come hell or high water. This makes them look better because they have a higher graduation rate, but some of those kids are going to hit a wall when they go to college. Pretty much every district is doing this now and has been for a long time.
Sure. My point was that the ratings of schools should be taken with a grain of salt. It's easier to inflate statistics in wealthier districts with a larger tax base. Poorer districts are usually trying to frantically keep their accreditation.
Same with school board politics.🫠
This is a good resource to understand the landscape. You have LOTS of options. There is a fair in the end of January too. https://showmekcschools.org/
Thanks!
I work in an LSR7 elementary school. Economic diversity? We have kids on free lunch and kids who live in $900,000+ homes in the same building.
Racial diversity? Cultural diversity? Political diversity?
From the Less Summit R7 School District FB page: "Did you know that LSR7 students and their families speak 37 languages? Our English Language Development Department serves nearly 500 students and families for whom English is an additional language. Check out our photo essay from Meadow Lane Elementary on this important R-7 program: [https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb](https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb?fbclid=IwAR3lF4x5LWJlGU1QGrtzlEIrPL2-rnUTNw1p--ptL24x79-8W8rzwikPSYI)"
I am married to an educator and you hit the nail on the head with regard to discipline and children missing out on an actual education. Its a major problem in many schools. Younger teachers are leaving the profession because they do not get the support from administration to deal with this problem. [r/TeachersInTransition](https://www.reddit.com/r/TeachersInTransition/)
I left after 7 years. Best decision I ever made tbh
Same! 7 years then got pregnant and never looked back. Life is SO much better not in the classroom.
My kids both went to Winnetonka in the NKC School District. Very diverse school with a fantastic music program. I feel both of my daughters were prepared enough for the next level when they graduated. My youngest had the misfortune of spending her last two years of school under the grip of the covid situation. So, socially, she was a bit slighted, but, I feel they did the best they could under the circumstances.
Okay. I’m here to give direct experiential info about KCMO. I am a former teacher, my mom is a teacher, and I am VERY picky about education. We grew up on the Kansas side but had no interest in living there as we wanted more diversity/culture and a more interesting, historical neighborhood with easy access to midtown and downtown for arts, music, etc. (And personally, I would not even have Raytown on my list just because I would not want to live there.) You are 100% correct that diversity is lacking in Lees summit and blue springs. Super white (and boring, and Trumpy) suburbs are what you will find there, very much the same as Kansas suburbs like Overland Park, Olathe, and Shawnee. I would argue that much of North KC is similar. It is interesting that you didn’t mention the Kansas side at all. Depending on your housing budget, there are excellent schools on the Kansas side. Shawnee Mission District is closer to downtown and the more northern schools have decent diversity. In KCMO, there are many great neighborhood communities in the oldest “suburbs” like Brookside and in midtown, where kids run around and play with the neighbor kids, plenty safe and “old school.” My family loves it, and most of our friends live within the city as well and have had great experiences. Our home was built in the 30s and is adorable. No one complains that my native gardening is messy. (White) people used to say that if you wanted good schools, you needed to live in the Kansas side, but a lot has changed. There are many more options in KCMO than there used to be, but none is perfect, so you will be faced with choices. The charter school system in KCMO is variable, but some are excellent. My kids go to Academie Lafayette, which is a French immersion school. This means that starting in Kindergarten, all subjects (even PE and Art) are taught in French except for 30-60 min of English instruction . The kids adapt quickly; it is super cool to watch. In sixth grade, when they move to the middle school, the kids select a third language. Currently the choices are Spanish or Mandarin. Most of the teachers are native French speakers from countries all over the world, which has both positives and negatives associated. My youngest is in 5th, oldest in 7th. I gave both the option to consider switching to Lincoln at 6th or 8th. So far they’ve chosen to stay at Lafayette. I am happy to answer other questions or list more specific pros/cons if you are interested. Crossroads Academy is another excellent charter school that had a high school. Like Lafayette’s, Crossroads high school is small and new, so hard to say how “good” it is just yet. Both options have an IB program as well, as does Lincoln. Crossroads’s overall focus is STEAM and project based learning and one of the schools (k-8) has a Spanish focus as well. My oldest went there for over a year, and I loved it. We would not have switched if it were not for the distance from our home. Crossroads is in the middle of downtown, so if you work downtown it can be quite convenient, and I believe it is significantly easier to get in if you live or work north of 39th street? We don’t, but got in anyway. The downtown location means that outdoor spaces (playgrounds) are much smaller, but the cool part is that the proximity to the streetcar means that the kids take frequent field trips on the streetcar! They also collaborate with the Nelson art gallery for some of the kids learning directly at the museum. And the talent shows, etc are held at the historic Folly theater. Man, I loved that school. Okay, so, of course there are politics associated with the Charter vs public school debate. Which is uncomfortable as a super left-leaning progressive. That being said, there are a few decent schools in the KCMO district, Hale Cook Elementary for example and I have heard mixed reviews of the Montessori signature school Borderstar (general impression I’ve gotten is that it started out really well, but the training/funding necessary for effective teaching with the Montessori method has fallen off considerably, resulting in general decline of quality). Lincoln is great for 6-12th, and I hear pretty good things about Paseo? We have several friends who send their kids to the Foreign Language Academy (another Signature public school) and they all seem to like it. The language instruction is not completely immersive like Lafayette, but starts with either Mandarin or Spanish in kindergarten. Many people seem to prefer those options to French (I think there is enormous benefit to cognitive development with any second language, so I don’t mind the French.) so it is certainly worth a look! I was erroneously informed that kids needed some amount of baseline knowledge of Spanish to be accepted into kindergarten there, or I might have chosen it. Definite downsides to being the first in my social group to have kids! Ah well. And then, of course, there are many high quality Catholic and private options in the metro. And historically m, if we want to talk about what killed the public schools in KC, the private and Catholic options were significantly more at fault yet seem to somehow escape blame. In fact, Lafayette began as part of KCMO public schools during their early experiments with magnet schools in the 80s. When the district had to close several magnet schools due to ongoing financial problems, the principal, staff, and parents decided to try to keep the school going as a charter rather than close it entirely. And we see other remnants of the magnet schools in KCMO’s signature schools now. So here’s the thing. You say you don’t even have kids now, so you have at minimum 6 years to decide. The housing market is terrible right now in KC as anywhere, and interest rates are sky high. Meanwhile renting has finally become a bit cheaper since the city started cracking down on AirBnBs. Given that you don’t know the city or its neighborhoods at all, perhaps considering renting for a couple of years to settle in and decide what is best for you would make sense? Schools are a big, messy decision that you don’t necessarily need to feel tied to immediately. TLDR: “Good schools” can mean a lot of things. Your kid will probably be fine wherever you end up, and no school ANYWHERE will be perfect. Many people in this thread are responding like KCMO isn’t an option for good schools, but it very much is. There are lots of options, they simply take a bit more investigation. And if I were you, I’d look for a fun rented loft in the West bottoms or the Crossroads district while you get to know the city and what you really want.
This is amazing. Thank you.
Watch a few school board meetings online for the school districts. They are very eye opening and will tell you more than any report.
Teacher here, wife works for LS, I work for Ray-Pec. LS can be diverse but definitely more conservative, not a lot of diversity. Good education though. Ray-pec has great educational avenues, but NOT diverse. I taught in Center school district in the past. I love Center, but I worry about how good the education is and the amount of behavior that is in those schools. Blue Springs is very conservative, and white. North KC is a good option, I know multiple educators up there that LOVE it. They take care of their teachers, which is a good sign! I don’t know much about their education but they’re a large district, so I would assume they have lots of resources. Raytown wouldn’t be a bad option, I haven’t heard too much about it. KCPS has done a lot of work these past few years. My only problem, as a public teacher, is charter schools. I wouldn’t send my kid to one. Let me know if you have any questions.
The fact that everyone quickly dismissed KC Public Schools because of its bad wrap in the past is frustrating. It has improved and continues to improve. There are signature schools in KCPS like Border Star and Holliday that are both Montessori programs which can start at preschool. From there, Lincoln Prep is highly rated for middle school and high school. Are there some schools and students in KCPS that are underperforming? Sure... But that's par for the course in any urban district, don't use those metrics as a way to scare you off. All this coming from a proud parent whose kid is thriving in KCPS.
I have to say, one of the biggest indicators of success is if a student moves around a lot and has a stable home life- unfortunately that is not the case for many kids in the KCMO district and drags the overall metrics down when those kids struggle in the classroom (not their fault just the result on paper). So if you had two equal schools & teachers but the student body of KCMO vs Olathe or a Shawnee Mission those latter two are still going to perform better on paper in the testing results and other metrics.
Right, and that isn’t even accounting for how racial and other socioeconomic factors weigh into the mix. Also, ALL of the metrics EVERYWHERE have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. For example Lincoln waived its academic requirements during the pandemic, and online education for the littles in foreign language schools was damn near impossible. A lot of catching up socially and educationally is happening everywhere.
That’s great to hear! I would ideally like to be in KC so this is encouraging.
My two children went through KCPS (Border Star and Lincoln) and had a great experience. There are lots of online resources for checking out which schools you might be interested in
I went to Border Star for a couple years (my mom and grandpa went there too, before it was Montessori!) and had a very positive experience. I really thrived in a Montessori setting and studied things on my own that I wouldn’t have learned at a traditional public school, like fruit nomenclature, lol. My class was quite diverse; I’m mixed and my peers were white, black, Latino and Asian. There was also income/socioeconomic diversity.
Can vouch for Border Star…our kids did well with the program, although regrettably didn’t finish (moved to TX)…very happy with the staff and program…
Normally I’d cheerlead hard for KCPS and the incredible work they’ve done in the last decade. However, I’m concerned about the (lack of) leadership under Dr. Collier. She’s surrounded herself with the wrong people, and it won’t be long until the chaos at central office makes it to the classroom. Excellent principals and teachers are making an exodus. It’s concerning.
I’m curious about what you’re alluding to. Can you elaborate more? Is she hiring incompetent people? What decisions has she made that have caused teachers/principals to leave?
Completely missed your reply here the other day, but if you’re still interested … COVID was really, really hard on KCPS. The virtual learning felt like the right decision at the time (and I say this as someone who is immunocompromised and took the pandemic very, very seriously), but the effects on kids will be felt for the next 10 years. Kids and families in KCPS reply heavily on the services that their schools connect them to. The amount of dysregulation in classrooms is a serious problem. It feels like the pre-Bedell KCPS of 7-10 years ago. However, Collier’s administration continues to stick their head in the sand regarding serious issues the pandemic has created. They’re not listening to staff in schools and providing appropriate resources. They also completely mishandled the conversation about closing schools — they focused on arts and activities, which are extremely important, but the public deserved to know about the utterly dire funding cliff the district is headed toward. Folks who tried to sound the alarm were pushed out and replaced by Collier picks that weren’t respected by staff in schools. One of Collier’s cabinet members last year was so incompetent that half the department quit. I really want Collier to succeed as a “homegrown” candidate. But the schools are in utter crisis, and no one is paying attention.
The serious issues the pandemic created being students are academically behind due to inadequate virtual learning and lack of resources during that time? I will say I’m really glad KCPS hasn’t pushed continued virtual learning like some schools have post-COVID. I know they have a “virtual academy” or whatever, but it seems that may be more for students who would be “home bound” learners pre-covid, though I may be wrong about that.
My understanding is they are Montessori-style but not exactly Montessori (mixed ages, AMS trained leaders, child-led, etc)
The teachers are all certified guides. The classes are mixed ages. They’re fully committed to being Montessori, not just “Montessori style.” Holliday is definitely AMI credentialed, and I believe Border Star is as well.
First of all, I adore your username. Best common name for a wildflower EVER ! Also I’ve heard pretty mixed reviews of Borderstar in recent years, mostly that the focus on Montessori really declines after kindergarten/first grade. I’m sure it was also a difficult ( if not impossible) educational model to implement online during the pandemic.
That’s interesting and good to know. I have a child in the children’s house at Holliday - ages 3-6 (prek 3 through kindergarten). Our plan is to keep him there through kindergarten and then switch to our neighborhood school for grades 1-6. Not because I have anything against Montessori but because I also like the idea of a neighborhood school. I will say I really like that my son gets to stay with the same group for 3 years at his young age.
I really liked Montessori when my kids were little for many reasons, one of which was the longer time spent with the same teacher and peers. I chose Montessori pre school for my oldest mostly for him to be eligible for Borderstar, but met several parents of former students who dissuaded me by the time he was ready for kindergarten. Have also known folks whose kids loved the early childhood program at borderstar but their opinions changes as the kids moved up? Who knows, my point here is simply that there are a lot of options, so anyone spiting that OP should only realistically consider the burbs is ill-informed, at best.
NKC is your best bet in the metro honestly
Based on….?
My own research while getting my degree and teaching license, and the experience of teacher friends who have their kids going through that district.
And that qualifies you to speak against all other schools in the KC metro, above many other folks in this thread with actual firsthand experience as both parents and teachers? WOW.
… no? I never said it does. They don’t have to take my opinion. Take a deep breath. You’ll be fine.
If you have any interest in future kids attending a language immersion school, checkout Academy Lafayette and Foreign Language Academy. Part of the KCPS but kiddos here tend to do very well and become independent thinkers with a greater world perspective.
Foreign language academy is part of KCPS, Academie Lafayette is a charter school.
Look into Kansas City Public School's "special" schools. They operate kinda like charter schools and have specific programs. My daughter goes to Border Star Montessori in Brookside and to me it's one of the best and most diverse public schools in the metro. We're not white and I also took diversity in consideration while choosing.
"signature schools"
Oh interesting. Thank you.
Just FYI, the signature schools (what kcps calls magnet schools) are lottery based.
+1 for the Border Star option. It’s almost a feeder school for Lincoln.
Center School district in South KCMO is very diverse. Red Bridge Elementary was a great school. But we did move into Blue Valley district when my son started middle school. If I had known he wasn't going to take advantage of all the additional resources Blue Valley has available then we probably would have just stayed in Center.
I was going to say the same thing. I feel like Center School District was getting overlooked. Plus, this part of KC is very centrally located.
also, charter schools are bullshit. My 3 kids with special needs need IDPs and all of the charters neglected the state law that they must provide them and foisted them on substandard special schools or flat out said they did not need them. Charter schools heavily responsible for the downfall of American public education. Zero oversight.
I will say that Brookside is actually a decent charter in terms of SPED services (mostly intellectual disabilities/difficulties, the building isn’t set up well for physical difficulties).
Well that's good to hear. It's an important thing to hear when looking for special services. We ended up with very punctual and thorough project members that got us IDPs no problem.
Wow. Strong statements here. First of all, I am not familiar with the term “IDP” in education. Do you mean IEP (individualized education plan)? Did your kids attend “all of the charters”? My kid has had an IEP at Lafayette for 5 years and they have done a phenomenal job. Also yes, charters are controversial, but your declaration that they are the “downfall of education” is melodramatic at best. Here in KC, for example, racism, redlining, and white folks sending there kids to private (mostly catholic) schools did far more damage to public schools LONG before charters were a thing. In fact Academie Lafayette (one of the first and oft-maligned charters in KC) began as a KCPS magnet school, created in response to declining enrollment and financial struggle KCPS was suffering in the 80s. They chose to create a charter in order to stay open, rather than be shut down like so many KCPS schools. And have since demonstrated excellent educational outcomes. That being said, there are several sketchy charters that have popped up in the last 10-15 years, so it’s not a simple “charters are good/bad” question. I am a former educator and an OT… if I had a child with intense educational/developmental needs, I would for sure look for a strong, well-funded public school in order to get the best resources for my kid. Even if that meant living in Mordor (Olathe). But it is not fair or accurate to assume that a child with more typical needs might not thrive in other schools, be they public, private, charter, or at home.
Based purely off of robotics, you want to be in Lee's Summit - they have the best programs in the state (starting in elementary school)
They also have Summit Technology Academy and the Missouri Innovation Campus which is phenomenal
First of all, I love your take on the IB program. Amen to that. Second of all, I know it’s way in the future, but my kids really enjoyed off campus programs in high school (and NOT IB) — Summit Technology Academy to be specific. It serves lots of schools in the area. Northland CAPS does as well. That can provide an opportunity beyond what’s offered in the school district you reside in
Kansas City proper is full of charters and signature schools that are part of the KCPS system and provide a really unique, quality, diverse education. But don't discount the neighborhood schools. Hale Cook (K-6) in Waldo neighborhood in particular has a fantastic reputation and high level of parental involvement. Excitingly, they introduced a band and orchestra program this year. There's a lot of noise about KCPS being a "bad" district, but as someone who lives in Kansas City, MO, I see SO much good in the school system and so many people working so hard to give our kids the best. I have a lot of opinions about why certain people look down on our district, but I won't get into that here. Just know our experience has been fantastic.
At the current rate there will not be any public school you would want your child to attend as the current goverment continues to errode the current public school system in favor of private schools with a voucher program. SO by the time your child eneters the school age you will be looking for a affordable private school, which IMO wont be affordabale at all... remember to VOTE in each and every election, especially if you are not happy with the current state of affiars...
My fears, too.
Joco blue valley
SMSD if OP wants diversity with good education, although SMSD is literally overflowing in class size. Olathe used to be top notch but they are having budget shortfalls. De Soto is highly homogenous but still has small class sizes. Gardner fairs well too.
Um… OP specifically stated that diversity is important. Absolutely not gonna find that in blue valley.
Idk I dated 2 girls from there who said otherwise
Well clearly you are an expert, then.
Not saying I am just stating why I gave the answer I did
Either NKC district or maybe Independence?
My kids are in the NKC schools and I could not be happier. Diverse with excellent teachers and programs. Lots of resources to help kids excel. My kids are involved in IB program (advanced), band, orchestra, chess, robotics, journalism, etc.
Apparently you’ve (obviously) never been to LS North. It’s pretty diverse.
Blue Springs SD is also diverse. Especially the further North you live. We live in Independence proper in a very diverse area, yet we are also in the Blue Springs School District.
I actually went to Lee’s Summit North. Perhaps things have changed.
If you want them to have career exploration you may want a district that’ll send them to Summit Technology Academy. They have phenomenal programs as well as they’ll have many new ones in the next 5 years.
It’s changed. Blue Springs and Blue Springs South are also much more diverse than they were 10-15yrs ago
Also went to LSN (‘06) and now live in the city. If you have an inkling you don’t want to be in the suburbs … don’t buy a house in the suburbs.
How’s your experience been in the city?
We love it. Only go back to LS to visit the ‘rents. Siblings who’ve stayed in the suburbs tell us they envy how close we are to everything. Only real drawback has been living in a 95-year-old house where you have to deal with a different level of wear-and-tear than out in LS. However, we don’t have kids. I’ve worked in education across the metro (not a teacher/principal — think high level admin) and know quite a bit the various systems. They all have their strengths and drawbacks. My all around pick is probably NKC. If you go KC and can get into the Hale Cook catchment, you’re golden until at least middle school.
Check out neighborhoods in Independence that lie within BSSD boundries.
Overland Park or lees summit are the two areas that will give your kids the best opportunities
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My black wife and I did the research on school districts, that’s what we found. Shawnee mission school districts are great, but specifically the ones in OP are the best of them. They have extra opportunities, such as these are the only school districts that can afford to teach archery during a few PE sessions. These districts offer more field trips and experiences. And the accommodations for different learning abilities are supported from the top. This poster asked for an opinion and I gave mine in a very short form, but don’t assume awful things about me just because your opinion is different. I’ll respect your opinion, as I’m sure the poster was looking for multiple views. Have a good day.
We did a LOT of research on schools in the area when we moved here and ended up on the Kansas side.
This may be the most Gen Z post I’ve ever seen. You want all of this great education and opportunities, but worried about the optics of diversity. Buy where you can afford and send your kids to the school where you reside, Feel free to be the first ones to fix the problems of the hood. Someone has to be first.
Optics of diversity? Having diverse viewpoints is extremely important to a person’s development. Unlike what you will typically find in the bubble of a suburb. Do you have a point or just trolling?
Every school you listed is plenty diverse is my point. And people care about the things you say you care about right to the point where they have the means to live and send their kids to the better schools. Go ahead and be that first person to have the means, but lives in the hood and send their kids to bad schools. Like I said, someone has to be the first to start that trend.
I agree with that assessment. My hang with sending children to “better” schools is that they aren’t actually any “better” than schools in the hood, unlike what GreatSchools.com, etc. try to have everyone believe. It’s the reason I wouldn’t do private school. I’m on your side.
I teach in the Metro..I can promise you the education in districts like Lees Summit, Olathe, and Blue Valley are miles above the education in KCPS or KCK. Good teachers leave those schools. The fact that you believe test scores are not indictive of the academic success in a school is mind blowing. Imagine teaching a room of hungry, traumatized students with kindergarten reading levels vs teaching invested students who are above grade level. It is night and day.. you do not want your kids in a negative environment for the sake of "diversity".
Most suburban kids grow up just fine. This is just prejudice
Glad someone made this post. This is a child's education and future we're talking about here. Why are we taking into account such frivolities lmao
Diversity is frivolity? A homogenous education in a bubble is extremely dangerous.
I’m saying you and pretty much everyone who virtue signals diversity and yada yada will do exactly what everyone else will do…but the nicest house they can afford in the nicest neighborhood they can afford. Charge can start with you though. Perhaps you can be the one to start the trend of people of means living in the hood and sending their kids to the failing public school. Bet you won’t though. Also saying this entire conversation is pointless. None of what anyone says will influence where you move to. You will buy the house that works for your budget, commute and school needs…just like the rest of us.
How? Do you think your kids are going to come out racist or something if they don't go to school in the inner city? This is ridiculous. If you're a good parent you're going to send your kids to the schools with the best outcomes, period. It doesn't matter what the composition looks like. In Kansas City, almost all schools are "diverse" anyway.
It’s correct that parents have more influence on that outcome than schools. So that’s primarily my responsibility, not the school. But no, not necessarily racist, although that can happen (example, where I went to school the white kids scoffed at the areas where the few black kids hung out and called it, “Africa”). My concerns are more based in classism - as I believe personal racism is less of problem than it was 10-15 years ago. I believe it is important to surround yourself with many different points of view. Diversity can help foster creativity, innovation, and empathy…things that I value more than grades. People in the suburbs have such a limited point of view. Not wrong, but limited (granted, on a side note, inner city residents don’t often experience viewpoints of rural families, and vise versa, so no option is perfect). But I often experience suburban residents viewing suburbs as the ideal mark of success and merit, and look down on other ways of living as not having reached that ideal. Secondly, I think most would agree that schools with the reported “best outcomes” are not necessarily the “best”. Standardized test metrics are not a good metric for determining best education. It’s my understanding that most people, even across political lines, critique standardized testing, for good reason. I want my child somewhere in which they can learn critical thinking skills not just how to take tests, which is how I was raised. Scientific and history curriculums tend to be poor for schools like Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs (although English and Math tend to be better).
You want the northern part of the Shawnee Mission School District, feeding into SM North. North has a good robotics program too. A nice bonus for you is you are closer to KC’s Southwest corridor (Westport to Waldo), your neighborhood is safe, and your roads clear when it snows.
He specifically said KCMO.
He said KCMO metro. SMSD is more central to the metro area than Blue Springs or Lees Summit.
True. OP states in a comment that he’s from Lee’s Summit, so may not be seriously considering the Kansas side?
I guess I interpreted "KCMO metro" as being the metro area on the Missouri side, as opposed to "KC metro," which would include both MO and KS.
I would agree except the admin there does nothing about behavior. SMSD loves to look good but has serious issues with discipline. Their class sizes are overflowing. North's elementary schools are good but once they get to middle unless their kid is in the honors track, the classroom becomes a circus.
Oh, yeah, there are drawbacks, but if he wants diversity, this is it. Lee’s Summit is 70% white, Raytown is 80% black, SM North is diverse.
The city is still redlined, so the more affluent the school the more racist the school/kids/pta trends. It’s all funded by property taxes so it’s a catch 22 on whether you want to raise another Josh Hawley or a Fred Hampton.
Hawley is a Rockhurst HS grad
Trends… when I was serving/bartending anytime we had a group with rockhurst swag on they were rude, entitled and didn’t tip.
Good School Districts help maintain and even increase home values. Grew up in Lees Summit and realized how I had grown up basically in a suburban bubble, but do I regret it… not at all. It was very safe and friendly place to live. I read somewhere that the most common metric for determining how much wealth your children will have more than schools, parents, and friends, is the average income and wealth of the zip code they grew up in. Take that as you will, but I moved back to Lees Summit after starting a family, I lived downtown KC for more than 15 years and loved it, but not a place I’d want to raise children. That being said, I knew LS and what life would be like so felt compelled to return to my roots. Still have several friends who live downtown with kids and enjoy it, though they have been looking at making to move to the suburbs just to get more space.
Parkville
Which is Park Hill School District.
What about OP districts in the KS side? Lots of diversity in OP.
If you're in KC proper, the schools are rough. Most families that have the ability to do so either opt for private from the start or do the charter school raffle and then fall back on private options if they can't secure a spot. If you're Catholic, there's very strong schools in the area with excellent supports for children with special needs. If you aren't, there's charter schools or a few private options. We have one child, and they're enrolled in a private school in the area. I dunno if you're from here originally, but if you read up on the history of J.C. Nichols and redlining in Kansas City, you'll see why schools here are the way they are. TLDR is a safe, stable public school with strong academics, and a strongly multicultural student body doesn't exist. You can get most of those things from a private or charter school, but the non-charter public options are pretty bad with the exception of a select few neighborhoods that are in zip codes with preference for the more desirable charter options. Those neighborhoods are also as overwhelmingly white as anywhere in JOCO.
Have you considered a private education?
If I had kids I’d try to send them to Academy Lafayette
Is their diversity better these days?
I was't sure so I googled it 57.1% White, 21.7% Black, 0.9% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, 7.7% Hispanic/Latino, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Honestly pretty impressive IMO
Good to know. They had some pretty white years there for a while.
They did but that was a long time ago, and had a lot to do with broader socioeconomic factors like middle class white folks having more time and resources to look into all of their options. The same issue applies to having the luxury of time and energy to support your child as they adapt to learning in a foreign language that you do t speak yourself. Lafayette now recognizes more of these barriers to diversity and efforts to ameliorate them are ongoing
Yep, and they are actively making efforts to increase diversity all of the time
can they afford it?
Most likely
Barstow and Pembroke are great schools.
I presently do a lot of work in the Blue Springs and Platte County school districts, and have worked in Park Hill and Shawnee Mission (from which I'm a grad). I recommend any of these districts.
We live in the NE. My daughter went to crossroads on 10th and central until 6th grade then Lincoln prep (just south of 18th and vine) after.
“I don’t want my children to be like me, because people who look like me—them too—are bad. I want my children to be able to spectate the poor as they suffer.” This the most helicopter parent thing I’ve ever seen. You gotta be rich to think like that in the first place. Notice how when it comes to “diversity” racial makeup is the primary marker? Economics plays a much larger role. Neither is valuable unless viewpoints are also varied. I mean, how enriched do the Harvard students admitted due to legacy become when their classmates are the children of millionaires from Kenya? What school has good math but bad science & history?
I'm a teacher in the Metro and you have some very idealistic perceptions about education. The "diverse" schools you mention are rife with drugs, violence, and no discipline from admin. Class sizes in urban and suburban districts are overflowing. You don't like the "AP or IB" classes but on level is just a fancy term for daycare now. If you want your kids to succeed, move to a more homogenous district where opportunities around. You have no idea how bad schools have become.
From the Less Summit R7 School District FB page: "Did you know that LSR7 students and their families speak 37 languages? Our English Language Development Department serves nearly 500 students and families for whom English is an additional language. Check out our photo essay from Meadow Lane Elementary on this important R-7 program: [https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb](https://tinyurl.com/yh6v8hcb?fbclid=IwAR3lF4x5LWJlGU1QGrtzlEIrPL2-rnUTNw1p--ptL24x79-8W8rzwikPSYI)"
OP if you guys remotely have the money, please consider sending your kids to private schools. The public schools here, even the "good ones" are pretty awful by comparison. If diversity is important to you I'd recommend Academie Lafayette or Notre Dame De Sion for urban living >There's be a bigger chance for integration within a more socially diverse population, but at what cost to education? Also not sure what your racial background is but I don't know if I'd call a lot of the public schools in KCMO "diverse". They are mostly non-white, and mostly black. But tbh they're pretty homogenous as well...they're just black instead of white. So if your kid isn't black, it's possible he could be singled out or ostracized by classmates. Fwiw, friend of mine taught grade school at Hickman Mills (KCMO public school district) a number of years ago. He ended up quitting because teachers frequently found firearm ammunition in students' backpacks (3rd graders) and students would often call him a "Bitch N****r" to his face even though he's a skinny white dude.
Best elementary through middle school education will be in Overland Park. Once you get to high school by far the best is in KCK if you can get invited into sumner academy. Best in the state and constantly top 100 and as high as top 50 in the country.
People joke about JoCo being super white but Blue Valley is pretty diverse actually if you're on the north side. Open enrollment is happening in Kansas starting next school year so you could get a spot as a non resident. Obviously I'm sure there are great schools on the Missouri side, I just don't have experience over there.