The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bryant Elem.
Bryant Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Independence 30 district, a large suburban system in Jackson County. The school is located in the western part of Independence, a city that functions as a commuter suburb of Kansas City and is a mix of historic neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and newer subdivisions. Independence has a historic downtown centered on the Jackson County Courthouse Square and is home to the Truman Presidential Library and several other cultural institutions. The city spans a large geographic area, and most daily life outside that core is car-dependent. The Independence School District is the city’s largest employer, and the local economy also draws on healthcare, defense, and manufacturing employers.
The school is a neighborhood elementary serving a student body that is diverse in its racial and ethnic composition. The largest group of students are white, followed by a substantial share of Hispanic students and smaller shares of Black students and students of two or more races. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary building serving these grades.
On state assessments for the most recent testing year, Bryant Elementary’s results show that proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were modest across grades three, four, and five. In math, proficiency rates for all tested grades clustered together. In English language arts, fifth grade showed a somewhat higher proficiency rate than the earlier grades, though still moderate. Science results for fifth grade were at a similar level to the math results for that grade. When placed alongside other school districts in Jackson County using a combined proficiency index that averages results across tested subjects and grades, the school sat above the midpoint among the county’s districts. This comparison set includes a wide range of districts from across the county. The school’s overall proficiency profile suggests that typical performance here is moderate relative to the broader county, though the rates themselves are below the state median.
Because Bryant Elementary only serves grades up to fifth, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on chronic absenteeism was not available in the source materials. The district itself recently made a structural change to its calendar. Beginning with the school year, Independence 30 moved to a four-day instructional week while maintaining the same total number of educational minutes. The district also introduced optional enrichment activities on some of the non-school Mondays. This change affects family schedules, childcare planning, and the rhythm of the school week.
For families considering this school, the academic picture is one of moderate state test performance in a setting that serves a high-need student population. The school’s location in a large, mixed-use suburb means it draws from a specific attendance area within the city, not the whole district. The four-day week is a practical consideration that families of young children will want to factor into their daily logistics. The school offers a standard elementary program within a district that is the anchor employer of a sizable Midwestern city with a historic identity and a range of civic amenities.
See more original research from School Decision →