The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Science. The lowest is 20% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Banneker Elem
Banneker Elementary is a public school in Kansas City, Kansas, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Kansas City school district, which sits in Wyandotte County on the western edge of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The school is located in a neighborhood of KCK that has historically been working-class, with ties to the city’s railroad and stockyard heritage. The broader city offers a mix of residential areas, commercial corridors, and industrial zones, and it shares cultural and economic connections with the larger metro area across the state line.
The student body is diverse. A large majority of students are Hispanic, and a substantial share are Black. White students make up a very small portion of the enrollment, and the remainder includes students identifying as Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or two or more races. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of the surrounding community. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, with classes distributed across all grades from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Housing in the area is modest compared to state and national benchmarks. Home values are well below the Kansas median, and rents are also below the national average. This is consistent with the school’s urban setting and the income profile of its families. The national unemployment rate and mortgage rate context are provided for reference but are not specific to this neighborhood.
On state assessments, Banneker Elementary’s results are low. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above in third, fourth, and fifth grades is well below what most schools in the state report. In English language arts, the pattern is similar, with proficiency rates in the same range. Fifth-grade science results also show a low percentage of students meeting the proficiency standard. When compared to other districts in Wyandotte County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls below the midpoint of the county’s districts. The state uses the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) for these tests, and the cut scores were recently changed, which makes year-to-year trend comparisons unreliable. The data does not include participation rates or the number of students tested, so it is not possible to assess whether all eligible students were assessed.
Because Banneker serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s website was not provided, and no information about course offerings, extracurricular programs, or special education services was available in the data. The school’s Title I status is not listed, though given the high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, it is likely that the school receives federal support. No discipline or attendance data was supplied.
The district recently passed a bond referendum that is the largest in its history, funding facility improvements, safety upgrades, and technology across Kansas City schools. This will affect the physical environment at Banneker and other buildings in the district in the coming years.
For families considering Banneker Elementary, the school serves a high-needs population in an urban setting with affordable housing. The academic performance on state tests is notably low, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school, including asking about the specific academic supports in place, how the school addresses early literacy and math, and what the school’s improvement plans look like. The district’s recent bond investment signals a commitment to upgrading facilities, which could be a positive factor in the school’s future. Without more information on programs, staff, and student support services, the academic picture is the main thing to weigh.
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