The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Crossroads Preparatory Academy
Crossroads Preparatory Academy is a public charter school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving seventh through twelfth graders. It operates as part of the Crossroads Charter Schools district and occupies a building on Broadway in the city’s downtown core. Because it is a charter school, it is publicly funded but operates independently of the traditional Kansas City Public Schools system, though that district recently became its charter sponsor after regaining full state accreditation.
Academically, the school shows a mixed picture on the state’s MAP assessments. In math, roughly one in four seventh graders and a similar share of eighth graders reached the proficient or advanced level. On the English language arts tests, about one in five seventh graders met that bar, while eighth graders did a little better, with closer to three in ten proficient. Science results for eighth graders were lower, with about one in seven scoring proficient or above. Across all tested subjects and grade levels, the school’s overall proficiency places it above the midpoint among the numerous districts in Jackson County. That relative standing is a genuine strength given the number of districts in the county. Still, the absolute rates in each subject are modest, and a parent considering the school may want to explore with the staff how they support students who are not yet meeting the state benchmarks. No graduation rate was available in the data for this school, so that measure cannot be assessed here.
The student body reflects the broader diversity of Kansas City. About half of the students are Black, roughly a third are Hispanic, and the remainder are White or multiracial. A substantial share of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families face economic constraints. The school is relatively small for a secondary school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across grades seven through twelve.
The school sits in the Crossroads Arts District, a part of downtown Kansas City that has seen notable residential and commercial revitalization in recent years. The city overall is a major urban center, car-dependent across its large footprint but with pockets of walkability downtown and along the streetcar line. Housing values in the zip code area are below the national typical figure and have seen a slight decline recently; rents have also eased a bit. These conditions may matter to families weighing where to live.
At the district level, Crossroads Charter Schools has publicly reported a multiyear charter renewal from the state, which gives it long-term operational stability. The district also offers Real World Learning pathways that include internships with local companies, an Early College Academy where students can earn an associate degree before high school graduation, and vocational training in fields such as welding, robotics, culinary arts, and cosmetology. These programs give students concrete options for post-secondary readiness and are a distinctive feature of the school’s approach. A parent whose child is interested in a career-oriented or college-accelerated track may find these pathways especially appealing.
The school does not have data on chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, or English learner numbers in the available records, so those dimensions of the student experience are not covered here. The overall profile is that of a downtown charter school serving a diverse, economically mixed student body, with academic performance that sits on the stronger side among its county peers but still leaves room for growth in core subjects, and with a growing set of career and early-college offerings that families should investigate further.
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