The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Thomas a Edison Elem
ThomasA Edison Elementary is a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school in Kansas City, Kansas, part of the Kansas City public school district. It sits in a mid-sized city that is part of the larger Kansas City metropolitan area, historically tied to railroads and stockyards, with a working-class heritage and a mix of residential, industrial, and commercial areas. The school’s enrollment draws from neighborhoods that reflect the broader city’s diversity.
The student body is relatively small for an elementary school serving these grade levels, and a very large share of students come from households with low incomes, qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Racially and ethnically, the school is majority Hispanic, with a smaller but still sizable number of White students, a modest share of Black students, and a small number of students who are Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or multiracial. Data on the share of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
State assessment results from the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) show that proficiency rates across tested subjects and grade levels are low overall. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above varied by grade: it was higher in third and fifth grades and lower in fourth grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar, with third and fourth graders showing lower proficiency and fifth graders somewhat higher. Science is tested only in fifth grade, and the proficiency rate there was low. Because the state adjusted the cut scores for these tests in the most recent year, the results are not directly comparable to prior years, so it is unclear whether these numbers represent a trend or a one-time shift.
When measured against other districts in Wyandotte County, the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades falls below the midpoint of the county’s school-level results. That comparison is based on the districts that had sufficient data; the school is in the lower half of that group. No chronic absenteeism or graduation data are available, which is expected for an elementary school.
The school’s district, Kansas City USD, passed a large bond referendum in late 2022, publicly reported as the largest in district history, to fund facility improvements, safety upgrades, and technology across its schools. That work may affect the physical environment at Edison Elementary in the coming years. Enrollment at the school is stable across grades, with each grade containing roughly thirty to forty-five students, suggesting a consistent community draw.
For a family considering this school, the key factors are its small, neighborhood-scale setting and its mission serving a high-poverty population. Academic outcomes on state assessments are low relative to the county, and a parent would want to understand what interventions and supports the school offers, especially given the heavy concentration of students from low-income households. The district-wide bond investment could bring improvements, but those are not specific to Edison. The school’s location in Kansas City, Kansas, offers access to the broader Kansas City metro area, though specific information about local walkability, employers, or civic anchors was not available in the research sources used here.
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