The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Math. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Frontier Schl of Excellence-m
Frontier Schl of Excellence-M is a charter middle school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades six through eight. It operates as a regular public charter school within the Frontier Schools network, a small charter district. The school is located on Troost Avenue in a dense urban part of Kansas City. Because it is a middle school with no high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and that is expected rather than a weakness.
Kansas City is a large, sprawling city with a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential areas. The school sits in a neighborhood that is part of the city's historic urban core. The housing market in the school's ZIP code shows home values slightly below the national benchmark and rents that have been rising modestly. Mortgage rates have hovered near typical levels, and unemployment is moderate nationally. This is a city with significant economic diversity, anchored by employers in healthcare, logistics, and government, and a downtown that has seen new residential development.
On state assessments, Frontier Schl of Excellence-M's results are low. In math, the proficiency rates for sixth and eighth grades are each around 15 percent, and the seventh-grade result was suppressed for privacy reasons due to small numbers. In English language arts, the sixth-grade result was also suppressed, while seventh grade showed about 9 percent proficient and eighth grade about 19 percent proficient. Science, tested only in eighth grade, was near 7 percent proficient. A multi-year trend is not yet available because only one year of data exists in this dataset. Compared to other districts in Jackson County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school will want to look into what academic supports are in place and how the school approaches instruction and intervention for students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks.
Enrollment is small, with a total student body that is heavily concentrated in seventh and eighth grades. The student population is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a very small number of white students and a handful of students of two or more races. Every student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high level of economic need. Special education and English learner data were not available in the provided data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
The school is a charter, which means it operates with some autonomy from the local school district but is publicly funded. The district, Frontier Schools, had no recent major changes reported in the data, such as leadership transitions, facility overhauls, or program restructurings. No information on program offerings, course access, staffing ratios, or discipline was present in the data set. This school does not have a magnet designation or Title I status reported.
For a family, this is a small, urban charter middle school serving a nearly entirely low-income student body. The test results suggest that a large share of students are not meeting grade-level expectations in reading, math, or science. That does not mean the school is without value, but a parent would want to understand the school's academic model and what additional resources are provided for students who are behind. The school's size means classes are likely small, which could allow for more individualized attention if the staffing is adequate. The lack of detailed data on staffing, discipline, and programs means a parent should visit and ask direct questions. This school might fit a family seeking an alternative to their zoned traditional public middle school who is comfortable with a charter environment and a high-need student population.
See more original research from School Decision →