The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in Math. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Three Trails Elem.
Three Trails Elementary is a regular public school in Independence, Missouri, serving students in pre-kindergarten through grade five. The school sits within the Independence 30 school district, the largest employer in the city and a significant institutional presence across the municipality. Independence itself is the largest suburb on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area, a mix of historic homes, modern apartments, and suburban subdivisions spread over about 78 square miles. The city functions as both a county seat with a historic downtown and a practical commuter suburb for Kansas City, with major employers including healthcare, defense, and the school district itself.
The student body at Three Trails is diverse. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need within the school community. The racial and ethnic composition includes a large share of students who are white, a considerable number of Hispanic students, and smaller groups of Black students and students identifying as two or more races. Very small numbers of Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students are also enrolled.
The school follows the district's four-day instructional week, a structural change implemented in the 2023-2024 school year that maintains the same total educational minutes. This means students attend school four days a week, with selected non-school days offering optional enrichment activities known as Enrichment Activities and Learning League. This calendar shift is a practical consideration for any family considering this school, as it directly affects weekly schedules, childcare arrangements, and how instructional time is organized.
State assessment data from the Missouri Assessment Program provides a picture of academic performance at the school. In third grade math, roughly a quarter of students scored at the proficient or advanced level. Fourth grade math results were notably stronger, with about half of students reaching that benchmark. Fifth grade math performance was considerably lower. In English language arts, third grade proficiency was at a similar level to third grade math. Fourth and fifth grade English language arts results were not available for public reporting, which is a gap a parent may want to follow up on with the school directly. In fifth grade science, about one in five students scored proficient or above. Overall, when looking across all tested subjects and grades, the school's composite proficiency index falls above the midpoint when compared to other elementary-level schools within the Jackson County district set. This means that, relative to its county neighbors, Three Trails sits in a middle-to-upper position in terms of overall tested performance, though the individual grade-level results show variability.
Because this is an elementary school that does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school's environment as a PK-5 building means the focus is entirely on early and middle childhood education, with no secondary-level programs, pathways, or college and career offerings to consider. For families, Three Trails presents as a neighborhood elementary school within a large suburban district that has made a notable operational change in its weekly schedule. The school serves a student population with significant economic diversity and a broad range of cultural backgrounds. The academic picture, based on the available state test results, has some bright spots alongside areas where performance is softer, and some grade-level data was suppressed entirely. Anyone looking closely at this school should consider reaching out to the school or district for a fuller explanation of the results that were not publicly reported and for details on how the four-day week works in practice for early-grades students and their families.
See more original research from School Decision →