The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in Math. The lowest is 15% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Guadalupe Centers Schools
Guadalupe Centers Schools is a public charter school district serving students from preschool through twelfth grade in Jackson County, Missouri. The district operates three schools: an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. Its enrollment is roughly comparable to a small suburban district, but it functions as a single charter network with a unified approach.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, comprising nearly all of the district's enrollment. A very small number of White, Black, Asian, and multiracial students attend as well. This composition is a plain characteristic of the community the charter was designed to serve, and families considering the district should understand it as a defining feature of the peer environment. The district does not appear to report the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, English learner status, or special education services through the available data, which leaves a gap for parents trying to gauge the level of support and socioeconomic context. You would want to ask the district directly about these figures.
On state assessments, Guadalupe Centers' results fall well below statewide averages and sit in the bottom quartile among Jackson County's districts according to a composite proficiency measure. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced is low across every tested grade from third through eighth, with the highest mark in seventh grade and the lowest in fifth grade. Reading and English language arts results follow a similar pattern, with a small fraction of students reaching proficiency in each grade. Science results in fifth and eighth grades are also low. These numbers tell a straightforward story: academic attainment is a serious soft spot for this district, and a parent should look closely at what interventions, curricula, or support systems the schools have in place.
The state assessment results are not reported for high school grades, which is often because the testing structure shifts to end-of-course exams that are treated differently. The graduation rate is not included in the data provided, so there is no way to assess how many students who start in this district finish with a diploma. A parent should absolutely ask for the four-year graduation rate, the five-year rate, and college-going rates for the high school.
Chronic absenteeism is above the midpoint among Jackson County's districts, which means a notable portion of students are missing enough school to affect learning. This is a practical concern for families because it can disrupt classroom pace and peer cohesion. Per-pupil spending is in the upper half of the county's range, indicating the district puts above-average financial resources into each student's education relative to its neighbors.
A significant recent development is that Guadalupe Centers transferred its sponsorship from the University of Central Missouri to the Missouri Charter Public School Commission. This change, which took effect, alters how the charter is monitored and renewed. Shortly after, the State Board of Education renewed the charter through June, securing continued operation for a defined period despite the academic performance challenges publicly reported. For a family, this means the district is not at immediate risk of closure, but the renewal cycle is a recurring accountability checkpoint that parents should track.
The district's web research mentions that it serves a specific community through a long-standing charter mission. Without a program offerings section in the data, there is no information about Advanced Placement courses, dual credit, career and technical education, or extracurricular options. This is a meaningful gap for middle and high school families and one you would need to fill by contacting the high school directly or visiting its website.
Overall, Guadalupe Centers Schools is a small charter network with a deeply homogeneous student population, resource spending that is competitive with its county peers, and academic proficiency numbers that are far below both state averages and the midpoint of its county. The district has a new oversight structure and a renewed charter, but the central question for a parent is what the schools are doing to raise achievement. Without graduation data, program details, or information on student support populations, the picture has several important blanks that only a school visit or a direct conversation with the administration can fill.
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