Mckinley Elementary School, Kansas City KS

Original Research by School Decision on Mckinley Elementary School

McKinley Elementary School is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Kansas City, Kansas, part of the Kansas City USD. It sits in a working-class neighborhood of a mid-sized city that is historically tied to railroads and stockyards, now part of the broader Kansas City metro area. For a family considering this school, the most immediate context is the student body: a large majority of students are Hispanic, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, and White students, and a very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That economic concentration shapes the peer environment and means a substantial portion of families may face resource constraints.

Academically, McKinley’s state assessment results place the school below the midpoint among the districts in Wyandotte County. Proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were modest across the tested grades of three through five, with similar results in fifth-grade science. The school serves only elementary grades, so no graduation rate or high school outcomes are available. Chronic absenteeism data was not reported in the available records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about attendance patterns and supports.

The housing market around the school is more affordable than the state average, with home values and rents well below typical Kansas figures. For a family renting, the financial burden relative to income is moderate, and buying a home in the area would require a lower monthly payment than the typical Kansas mortgage. This affordability may appeal to households looking for a lower-cost entry point into the Kansas City metro area.

At the district level, Kansas City USD passed a large bond referendum in late 2022 to fund facility improvements, safety upgrades, and technology across the system. That investment is publicly reported as the largest bond in district history and will affect school buildings and property taxes for years to come. Families moving into the area may want to understand which schools are slated for upgrades and how the bond may shift local tax obligations.

McKinley Elementary itself has no publicly reported program offerings, magnet status, or special school designation. The data on staffing, course access, and discipline were not available, leaving gaps a family may wish to fill by speaking with the school directly. For a parent looking at this school, the key takeaway is a high-poverty, majority-Hispanic student environment, academic results that trail the county median, and a district that is in the middle of a large capital investment. Families who value a neighborhood school setting with a diverse, economically challenged student body may find it a fit, while those seeking higher baseline test scores or a more affluent peer group will want to compare options.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 16% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 19% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 22% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 25% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 24% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 29% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 19% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolKansas City, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.