The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on M E Pearson Elem
M E Pearson Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Kansas City, Kansas. It is one of the elementary schools within the Kansas City public school district. The school sits in a city with a working-class heritage and a diverse set of neighborhoods, part of the larger Kansas City metro area.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, and the school enrolls a substantial share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The remaining enrollment includes smaller contingents of Black, Asian, and white students, along with a handful of students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander or identify as two or more races. The total enrollment places M E Pearson in a familiar size range for an urban elementary school serving a full PK-through-5 grade band.
State assessment results from the Kansas Assessment Program show where student proficiency stands. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low in third grade, rose somewhat in fourth grade, and rose again in fifth grade. In English language arts, fourth grade had the highest figure among tested grades, with third and fifth grades coming in at lower rates. Fifth-grade science proficiency was the lowest of any tested subject and grade. Across all three subjects and all tested grade levels, the overall picture is one of a school where a small fraction of students meet the state’s proficient benchmark. On a proficiency index that averages results across tested subjects and grades, M E Pearson sits in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Wyandotte County. Kansas changed its cut scores for math and English language arts assessments in the same year as this testing, which means year-over-year comparisons are not straightforward, and a parent may want to ask the school how the new standards affected these results.
The school itself is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet. No information about its Title I status, discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, or chronic absenteeism was available in the data we reviewed. A parent could call the school directly to learn about those aspects of the environment.
The broader district context includes a major bond referendum passed in 2022, the largest in district history, which is funding facility improvements, safety upgrades, and technology across all schools. That work is ongoing and could affect the physical condition of M E Pearson’s building and its technology resources over time.
Housing in the zip code that serves this school area is priced below the state and national benchmarks, though rents have been rising at a faster clip than home values. The estimated monthly cost of renting is lower than the estimated mortgage payment for a median-priced home, a dynamic that may matter to families trying to decide whether to buy or rent in the attendance zone.
For a family considering M E Pearson, the academic pathway it offers is one where state assessment results are well below typical performance across the county, and the school’s primary focus is on serving a high-poverty, majority-Hispanic elementary population. There are no program offerings listed in the data, so it is not clear whether the school hosts specialized academies, dual-language tracks, or other enrichment options. A parent would benefit from visiting the school, talking with the principal, and understanding what supports are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks in math, reading, and science.
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