The top reported proficiency rate is 9% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Guadalupe Centers Elementary
Guadalupe Centers Elementary is a charter school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Guadalupe Centers Schools network, a charter district that in 2021 transferred its sponsorship from the University of Central Missouri to the Missouri Charter Public School Commission. The state board renewed the district’s charter through 2027, securing its operation for the near term.
The school has a large overall enrollment for an elementary, serving several hundred students and drawing almost entirely from one demographic group. More than nine out of every ten students are Hispanic, with a very small number of White and Black students. Nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the sources reviewed; a parent may want to check with the school directly about the programs and supports for these populations.
State assessment results from the Missouri MAP tests are well below statewide averages. In math, proficiency rates fall in the single digits across grades three, four, and five, and in English language arts, the share of students meeting the proficient or above benchmark is similarly low, ranging from about seven percent to eleven percent depending on the grade. Fifth-grade science results are also in the single digits. Compared with other districts in Jackson County, Guadalupe Centers Elementary’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among about three dozen districts. Because the school serves only elementary grades, no graduation rate is reported.
The school is located in a heavily urban part of Kansas City. The city itself is a major Midwestern center with a large geographic footprint, a mix of commercial and residential areas, and an economy shaped by transportation, health care, and financial services. Home values in the school’s immediate zip code are well below both state and national benchmarks, and rents are moderate relative to the region. The area is largely car-dependent, with walkable pockets downtown and near certain commercial corridors. A family considering this school would be entering a high-poverty urban setting where housing costs are low by metro standards.
Several data points common to other school profiles are missing here. There are no reported figures for chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access. No information on special education or English learner proportions was available in the provided data. These gaps limit a fuller picture of the school environment and student support. The district brief notes that Guadalupe Centers Schools has faced academic performance challenges, and the charter renewal through 2027 suggests the state has given the network a fixed window to demonstrate progress.
Guadalupe Centers Elementary serves a very specific community: overwhelmingly Hispanic and low-income, in a Kansas City neighborhood where housing is affordable. The academic results are among the weakest in the county. A parent choosing this school would do so understanding that the pathway it offers is based on cultural and community alignment and that the measured academic outcomes are very low. The school’s charter status means it operates with a degree of autonomy from the local school district, and its governance has recently shifted to the state charter commission. Families may want to ask about the school’s academic improvement plans and what specific interventions are in place for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards.
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