Original Research by School Decision on Delasalle Charter High School
DeLaSalle Charter High School sits on Troost Avenue in Kansas City, a school in a single-school district that, as of recently, serves only high school grades. The shift is recent enough that web-researched sources show the district previously served grades six through twelve and now serves only nine through twelve, meaning families who might have considered this school for a younger sibling in middle school no longer have that option. The school is a charter, not a traditional public school in a larger district, and it operates as a standalone entity under the Missouri Charter Public School Commission.
The student body is small, and its demographics reflect a specific community. Nearly all students who attend DeLaSalle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves a population with significant economic need. The racial composition is overwhelmingly Black, with a very small number of Hispanic, White, and multiracial students. The school reports no data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, which a parent may want to ask the school about directly, as those figures often shape the support resources a school is expected to provide.
State testing data is available for a single recent year, and it shows that proficiency rates in both English language arts and math were below what most families would consider typical. That is a soft spot, and a parent should look into this further with the school to understand what academic support and interventions are in place. Because the data covers only one year, there is no trend to examine, but a single point that low is worth a direct conversation.
In terms of academic pathway, the school is a high school only, so the relevant outcome measure is the graduation rate. That figure was not reported in the data available here. The school’s website and the charter commission listing describe a focus on credit recovery and high school options, which suggests that the school is designed for students who may need flexibility or additional support to complete their diploma. A parent considering this school should understand what that emphasis means in practice, particularly regarding college preparation, career pathways, and dual-credit opportunities.
The school did not report data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, course access, or staffing ratios. Without those measures, it is difficult to assess the day-to-day learning environment, the breadth of the curriculum, or how stable the teaching staff is. A family evaluating DeLaSalle would want to visit and ask about class sizes, the availability of advanced coursework or electives, and what systems the school uses to keep students engaged and attending.
The community context is Kansas City, a major urban center in Jackson County. The school is located on Troost Avenue, a historically significant corridor in the city’s central core. The housing market in the immediate area, as reflected by property values, is below both the state and national benchmarks, consistent with a neighborhood where many families face economic constraints. Rents in the area rose notably over a recent year, which could add pressure on families in a school where nearly all students qualify for meal assistance.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a small, mission-driven charter high school serving a high-need population in the urban core. The academic proficiency numbers are weak, but that is not uncommon in schools that serve predominantly low-income and historically underserved students, and the available data does not tell a parent what growth or progress students are making once enrolled. The lack of reported data on special education, English learner services, discipline, and attendance leaves significant gaps. A parent who values a supportive, small-school environment focused on credit recovery and diploma completion may find this a good fit. A parent looking for extensive college-preparatory course offerings, high test scores, or strong accountability data will likely need to look elsewhere and ask harder questions about whether those opportunities exist here at all.
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