Santa Fe Trail Elem., Independence MO

Original Research by School Decision on Santa Fe Trail Elem.

Santa Fe Trail Elementary is a regular public school in Independence, within the Independence 30 school district, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is one of many elementary options in a district that, as of the 2023-2024 school year, shifted to a four-day instructional week, a structural change families in the area must account for in their weekly schedules and childcare planning.

Situated in Independence, a large suburb and the fifth-largest city in Missouri, the school sits in a community that blends historic neighborhoods near the city center with modern suburban subdivisions. Independence functions as a major commuter suburb of Kansas City and is home to the Independence School District, the city's largest employer. The housing market in the school's zip code shows home values near the national median, with rents following a similar pattern, making it a relatively accessible market for a metropolitan area.

The student body at Santa Fe Trail is diverse and economically mixed. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of economic need. The racial and ethnic composition includes a majority of white students, with a substantial Hispanic population, a smaller Black population, and a notable share of students who identify with two or more races. Enrollment is spread fairly evenly across the elementary grades, with a slightly larger pre-kindergarten cohort.

State assessment results for the 2024-25 school year paint a mixed picture of academic performance. In mathematics, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five were all below the state average, with the fifth-grade rate being the lowest of the three. In English language arts, the fourth-grade proficiency rate was higher than the third and fifth grades, though the third-grade rate was not reported. Science results for fifth graders were stronger than both math and English language arts for that grade. When compared to other districts in Jackson County, Santa Fe Trail’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint of the county. This provides some context: while individual subject scores may be lower than state averages, the school’s combined performance is competitive with many other districts in the same county.

A parent reviewing this school will want to examine the district’s four-day schedule closely, as it is a defining feature of the student experience. The school’s academic profile is one of uneven performance across subjects and grades, with room for improvement in mathematics. A conversation with the school about how it supports students who are not yet at grade level would be a practical next step for any family considering this school.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 36% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 33% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 37% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 41% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 36% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

This schoolINDEPENDENCE 30, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.