The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in Math. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bertram Caruthers Elem
Bertram Caruthers Elementary is a public school in Kansas City, Kansas, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Kansas City school district, which covers much of the city. The school sits in a neighborhood of KCK, a mid-sized city within the larger Kansas City metropolitan area that has a working-class heritage and a mix of residential and industrial zones. A major district-wide bond referendum passed in 2022, the largest in the district’s history, is funding facility improvements, safety upgrades, and technology; that work will affect Bertram Caruthers along with every other school in the system.
The student body is diverse and reflects the surrounding community. The majority of students are Hispanic, a substantial share identify as Black, and small portions are white, multiracial, Asian, or Native American. Almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic context many families here navigate. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there are no graduation rates to report, and data on discipline, staffing, attendance, and special populations like English learners or students with disabilities was not available in the records reviewed.
On state assessments, which are the Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) tests, Bertram Caruthers’ proficiency rates fall below the midpoint among districts in Wyandotte County. In English language arts, roughly a third of third graders scored proficient or above, but that share drops to a smaller portion for fourth grade and a still modest level for fifth grade. Math results follow a similar pattern, with third graders performing a bit better than their older schoolmates but still well below half proficient. Fifth-grade science proficiency is the lowest of all reported subjects, with a very small share of students meeting the bar. The state changed its cut scores on these tests in recent years, so direct comparisons with earlier years are not reliable, but the current picture shows that a majority of students at every tested grade and subject are not yet reaching the proficient threshold. A parent considering this school would want to talk with the principal and teachers to understand what academic supports, interventions, and enrichment are in place, because the assessment data suggests many students need additional help to meet grade-level expectations.
The school’s location in Kansas City, Kansas means families have access to the broader metro area’s cultural and economic opportunities, though the local housing market is more affordable than in many parts of the region. The district’s bond investment signals a commitment to improving school facilities, which could matter to parents evaluating the physical learning environment.
Bertram Caruthers is a neighborhood elementary school that serves a high-poverty, predominantly Hispanic and Black student body in an urban district undergoing a major facilities overhaul. Its academic performance, as measured by state tests, is well below state averages, and families looking at this school will want to dig into how the school addresses those gaps. The school’s relatively small size for an elementary and its diverse student community may appeal to families seeking a close-knit setting in the city, but the test results are a clear soft spot worth investigating directly with the school administration.
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