The reported proficiency rate for Science is 5%.
Original Research by School Decision on Central High School
Central High School in Kansas City is a regular public high school serving grades nine through twelve. It sits within the Kansas City 33 school district, which in the summer of 2022 received full accreditation from the state of Missouri for the first time in many years, a milestone that removed the uncertainty that the district’s previous provisional status had created for families. The school is located in the 64128 zip code, a part of a major Midwestern urban center known for its mix of commercial corridors, historic neighborhoods, and car-dependent overall layout, though concentrated pockets of walkability exist downtown and near the Country Club Plaza.
The school serves a student body that, by the data reviewed, is entirely composed of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly Black, with this group making up a large majority of enrollment. Smaller shares of students identify as Hispanic, white, and other racial backgrounds. For families choosing a school, this is a simple description of who attends; there is no value judgment attached to the composition.
Academically, the picture from the testing data is direct and challenging. On the state’s MAP assessments, proficiency rates in science from one available year of data were very low, and the most recent school-year data for English language arts and math both show proficiency rates in a similar low range. The school’s overall proficiency index, which takes the mean of reported proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades, falls in the bottom quartile relative to other districts across Jackson County. Only a single year of data for each subject was found in the trend file, so whether this represents a longer pattern or a recent low point cannot be determined from what is available here. There was no graduation rate in the data, so it cannot be characterized.
For a parent or resident weighing options, the numbers raise real questions about academic preparation for students. The data indicates that only a small portion of students are meeting state benchmarks in core subjects. A parent may want to investigate directly with the school or the district what supports for struggling students look like, what programs are in place to improve proficiency outcomes, and how the school measures progress year over year beyond the snapshot of a single assessment cycle.
On the support side, the student body qualifies for free meals at a very high rate, which means the school is serving a community with significant economic need. No data was available on special education enrollment or English learner populations, so those dimensions are not present in this account. The record for discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism was also missing from the data provided, leaving notable gaps in what a family or investor in the neighborhood can know from this source alone.
The housing market surrounding the school reflects an area where home values have decreased in the most recent data, while rents have increased. The typical home value in the zip code is well below both the state and national benchmarks, and the estimated monthly mortgage is lower than the typical rent, a dynamic that can make ownership a more attainable option for some households than renting. The broader Kansas City area economy has shown moderately low unemployment in recent months, with median household income nationally flat over the past few years.
Kansas City itself is the state’s largest city by population and land area, with a history as a transportation and livestock hub. Its major employers include hospital systems, logistics firms, and government entities, with the district itself being a significant employer. The city’s civic anchors, such as the parks and boulevard system, the streetcar line, and cultural institutions like the Nelson-Atkins Museum, contribute to the broader quality of life, but the school’s immediate neighborhood sits within a large city with varied neighborhood conditions.
Central High School is a school where academic performance is the central concern from the data available. The district’s recent return to full accreditation suggests that the system is focused on improvement and stability, but at the school level the test results call for a close look by any family considering enrollment. The school’s purpose as a neighborhood high school serving a concentrated area of the city means that its enrollment is tied to the housing within its attendance zone. For residents of that zone, understanding the school’s current academic standing and what the district is doing to raise proficiency is essential.
See more original research from School Decision →