Original Research by School Decision on Guadalupe Centers High School
Guadalupe Centers High School is a charter high school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades nine through twelve. It is part of the Guadalupe Centers Schools district, a small charter network. The school is located on The Paseo, a major north-south boulevard in the city’s historic core, within a few miles of downtown Kansas City. The surrounding area is a dense, urban part of the city with a mix of residential and commercial uses, and the school sits within a broader Kansas City context that is car-dependent overall but has walkable pockets near downtown and the River Market.
The student body is almost entirely Hispanic, with a very small number of white, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that places the school in a high-poverty context. The school is a regular public charter high school, and it is part of the Guadalupe Centers Schools district, a small charter network. The district recently transferred its charter sponsorship from the University of Central Missouri to the Missouri Charter Public School Commission in 2021, and the State Board of Education renewed the charter for a five-year period through June 2027, confirming the school will remain open.
State testing data is available for the most recent school year, and the results show that proficiency rates in both English language arts and math are very low. In English language arts, roughly one in eleven students scored proficient. In math, the rate was even lower, with about one in seventeen students scoring proficient. These are single-year figures, so there is no trend to examine, but the current performance is well below typical state averages. A parent considering this school would want to understand what academic supports and interventions are in place, and how the school addresses these results.
The school serves a full high school grade span, from ninth through twelfth grade, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the four grades. No graduation rate data was available in the provided information, so it is not possible to assess how many students complete high school here. Similarly, data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and course access were not provided, leaving gaps in the picture of day-to-day school life. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these areas.
Housing in the surrounding zip code is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, with home values slightly below the national median and rents a bit above the national median. The local housing market has seen a small year-over-year decline in home values and a modest increase in rents, consistent with a stable urban market. The national 30-year mortgage rate was just over six percent at the time of this data, which is a relevant factor for any family considering a home purchase in the area.
Guadalupe Centers High School serves a specific community and operates in a high-poverty urban setting. The academic proficiency data is a clear concern, and the lack of information on graduation rates, attendance, and course offerings means a family would need to gather more from the school directly. The school's charter renewal through 2027 provides some stability, but the academic results are the central fact a family would need to weigh.
See more original research from School Decision →