Original Research by School Decision on Delasalle Charter School
DeLaSalle Charter School is a small district in Jackson County that operates as a public charter. The Missouri charter commission and other sources report that its grade configuration has shifted from serving middle and high school grades to now serving high school only, focused on grades nine through twelve along with credit recovery and high school completion options. A parent considering this district should confirm with the school office what grades are currently enrolled for the coming year, because the transition appears to be recent.
The district runs two schools: DeLaSalle Charter High School and Kintsugi Academy. The enrollment is small, concentrated in the upper high school grades, and the vast majority of students are Black. A very small share of students are Hispanic, white, or multiracial. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners were not reported here, so a family should ask the district directly about supports for those needs.
State assessment proficiency data was not available for this district. Without that, and without a graduation rate reported to this database, it is hard to draw a direct picture of academic outcomes from the numbers alone. The district appears oriented toward students who need a nontraditional path through high school, including credit recovery, which may mean its peer environment and expectations differ from a comprehensive high school. A parent may want to ask the school for any available outcomes data, such as graduation rates or postsecondary enrollment.
Chronic absenteeism is high. On this measure, the district ranks in the bottom quartile among the districts in Jackson County, meaning a substantial share of enrolled students miss many school days. This is common in settings that serve students who face significant challenges outside school, but a parent should understand that consistent attendance may be a hurdle for their student and a priority the school addresses.
Per-pupil current spending is in the upper range among Jackson County’s districts. That is a financially intensive level of spending for a small high school, which often reflects the cost of providing small classes, intensive supports, and a specialized mission.
The district does not serve students younger than ninth grade, so families with children in sixth through eighth grades need to look elsewhere. For a high school student who has struggled in a conventional setting, DeLaSalle may offer a more flexible environment and a focus on credit recovery and completion. The lack of proficiency and graduation data makes it difficult to assess how effectively that mission translates into results, so direct inquiry with the school is the best next step.
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