Belinder Elem, Prairie Village KS

Original Research by School Decision on Belinder Elem

Belinder Elementary serves students from preschool through sixth grade in Prairie Village, a residential suburb of Kansas City. The school is part of the Shawnee Mission School District, one of several districts serving Johnson County. When placed relative to districts in Johnson County, Belinder’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands in the top quartile, a strong showing among its county peers.

State assessment results for the most recent school year show that students in every tested grade posted solid numbers in both math and English language arts. In third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the share of students meeting or exceeding state standards in math was consistently around the mid-sixties to the low seventies. English language arts results were higher, with third graders performing particularly well. Science, which is tested in fifth grade, saw a moderate share of students reach the proficient level. A parent reading these results will see a school whose academic performance is a clear strength, particularly in literacy, and where math achievement is also solid across the grade span.

The student population is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is low, which reflects the economic profile of the surrounding community. The school does not appear to report counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent with a child in those categories may want to ask the school directly about support services.

Prairie Village itself is a postwar planned suburb with a traditional street grid. It has no downtown; its retail and civic life center on two shopping centers, Prairie Village Shopping Center and Corinth Square. The community is largely built out, with modest population growth in recent years. Housing values are well above national and state benchmarks, and rents have been rising. For a family considering a move, the housing market here is expensive relative to the broader region. The school is neighborhood-based, and the overall environment is car-dependent, though some commercial nodes are walkable.

At the district level, Shawnee Mission has developed Signature Programs at a central academic and career campus, offering pathways in fields like biotechnology, engineering, culinary arts, and medical health sciences. These are designed for high school students and represent a lasting addition to the district’s offerings. The district also states a focus on personalized learning plans for every student, a pedagogical direction that families may want to understand in terms of how it plays out at the elementary level.

Belinder is a public elementary school, not a charter or magnet, and it does not receive Title I funding. It is a school that serves its neighborhood and draws on the resources of a well-regarded district. For a parent looking for a school with strong tested outcomes in a community with high housing costs and a suburban character, this is a place that fits that profile. The school’s performance numbers are its most prominent feature, and they are encouraging. A family considering this school should also inquire about the areas where data is thin, particularly special education and English learner support, to ensure the school can meet their child’s needs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 53% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 57% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 58% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 58% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 379%

School 79% · District 60% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 62% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 63% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 667%

School 67% · District 59% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 54% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

This schoolShawnee Mission Pub Sch, 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.