The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in Math. The lowest is 76% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Voy Spears Jr. Elem.
Voy Spears Jr. Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Blue Springs R-IV School District, located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. It sits in a suburban commuter city of Kansas City that has grown steadily since the mid-twentieth century, adding both single-family housing neighborhoods and commercial corridors along its highways. The historic downtown anchors festivals, an art walk, and a farmers market, but the school itself is on a campus outside that core, as are most schools in the area. The district has publicly reported a new Career Innovation Center being built on a former high school campus, offering profession-based programs in fields such as aviation, business, and health sciences, and it operates under a strategic plan for 2023-2028. These are district-level investments that may not directly affect an elementary student’s daily experience but signal the system’s direction.
Academically, Voy Spears Jr. Elementary posts proficiency rates that place it well above typical levels among its peers. On the Missouri Assessment Program for the most recent year, math proficiency was strong in third, fourth, and fifth grades, with a large majority of students meeting or exceeding expectations. English language arts proficiency was also high in grades three and four; fifth-grade ELA results were suppressed and not reported, so a family looking at that specific grade would want to ask the school directly. Science proficiency in fifth grade was similarly high. The school’s overall performance across tested subjects and grades ranks in the top quarter of all elementary schools within Jackson County, according to the data that compares schools relative to districts in that county. This is a clear strength for parents who prioritize consistent, above-average state test results.
The student body is predominantly white, with the next largest groups being Black and Hispanic students, followed by Asian, two or more races, and small numbers of Native American and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A relatively low share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a generally middle- to upper-middle-income population. The school is not a Title I school and does not operate as a charter or magnet. Information on special education and English learner populations was not available in the data, so a parent with a child who has an IEP or is learning English would need to verify support directly with the school.
Housing in the area around the school is well above the state median home value and the national benchmark. Rents have been rising, and the monthly mortgage estimate, factoring current interest rates, is higher than the typical rent, which may push more families toward renting if interest rates remain elevated. The broader Lee’s Summit housing market has seen modest appreciation, and the city’s population continues to grow, making this a stable but competitive market for homebuyers.
This school fits a family seeking a high-performing elementary environment in a suburban, growing community within a larger district that is expanding its career-oriented high school options. The academic results are consistently strong, the student poverty rate is low, and the surrounding area offers a mix of historic downtown amenities and modern suburban development. A parent whose priorities are rigorous early-grade academics in a low-poverty setting will find Voy Spears Jr. Elementary a solid match. Those looking for specific program offerings, such as gifted or language immersion, will need to check because the available data does not include course access or enrichment details. The lack of fifth-grade ELA results also means one grade’s literacy picture is incomplete, though the other grades’ numbers are clear and positive.
See more original research from School Decision →