The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Brookside Charter Elementary
Brookside Charter Elementary is a tuition-free public charter school serving students from preschool through fifth grade in Kansas City, Missouri. It operates as a regular elementary school under the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, and its charter was renewed for a term running through 2028. That renewal gives families a measure of stability that the school will continue to be authorized to operate for several more years. The school also executed a contract amendment related to enrollment in 2024, so families applying should confirm current capacity and admission policies with the school directly.
The student body is moderate in size for an elementary school covering PK through fifth grade. Nearly every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which places the school in a high-poverty context. Demographically, the large majority of students are Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic and multiracial students, and a very small number of white students. This composition reflects the surrounding urban neighborhood, a residential area on the south side of Kansas City near East 63rd Street.
On the Missouri Assessment Program tests administered to third through fifth graders, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts tend to fall in the twenties percentile range, with some variation across grades. Fifth-grade science results land in a similar band. These proficiency rates are low in absolute terms. However, when Brookside Charter Elementary is compared to other districts in Jackson County, its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint of the county distribution. That means, among the many elementary-level districts in the county, the school's results are slightly better than typical for its peer group, even while the absolute numbers indicate that a majority of students are not yet meeting grade-level expectations. Parents reviewing these results will want to be aware that the school serves a population facing significant economic challenges, and they may wish to ask what academic supports and interventions are in place to move more students into the proficient range. Only a single year of testing data was available, so there is no multi-year trend to assess whether performance is improving or declining.
The school is designated as a regular elementary school, not an alternative or special-purpose program. No data was provided on the number of students receiving special education services or English learner supports, so families with children who have special needs or are learning English should inquire directly about available services. Similarly, no information was reported on teacher-student ratios, staff qualifications, chronic absenteeism, or the specific programs offered in areas such as art, music, physical education, or before- and after-school care. These are common gaps for a school profile of this type, but they mean a parent cannot fully evaluate the daily experience without reaching out to the school for more detail.
The school is located in Kansas City, a large, sprawling urban center that is home to major cultural institutions, a growing downtown residential scene, and a well-known park and boulevard system. The area around East 63rd Street is a lower-density residential and commercial corridor, and like much of the city, it is car-dependent for most trips, though there are walkable pockets. Housing in the zip code that serves the school is notably affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the Kansas City metro average. Rent also trends lower than in many parts of the city, though rental costs have been rising. For a family considering relocation to this part of Kansas City, the barrier to entry in the housing market is relatively low, but the neighborhood context is urban and economically diverse.
Brookside Charter Elementary offers a publicly funded, no-tuition option for families in Kansas City who want a charter school structure for elementary grades. Its academic results, while modest, are on par with or slightly above what is typical among Jackson County districts serving similar populations. The school has a clear charter renewal path through 2028, and the charter contract amendments suggest active management of enrollment terms. Parents who value a small to moderate school setting with a high-need student body, and who are prepared to engage with the school on academic support and enrichment, would find this a reasonable option to explore in the Kansas City charter landscape.
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