B. Banneker Elementary, Kansas City MO

Original Research by School Decision on B. Banneker Elementary

B. Banneker Elementary is a regular public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Kansas City, Missouri. It sits within the Kansas City 33 school district, a large urban district that in 2022 regained full state accreditation after a period of provisional status, a change that ended years of uncertainty about the district’s oversight. The school itself has operated as a neighborhood elementary for a long time, though specific historic context beyond what is provided is not available.

The student body is large for an elementary school serving these grades. A substantial majority of students are Black, with a much smaller share who are Hispanic, a very small number of White students, and a small number of students who identify as two or more races. Every single student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting a community with high economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the support structures available for those populations. The school does not report charter or magnet status.

On the Missouri Assessment Program, the state’s standardized test, Banneker’s results are very low in every subject and grade tested. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above is in the single digits at most grade levels, with the highest just above ten percent in fourth grade. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: the proficient share ranges from about eight percent to just over twelve percent, depending on the grade. In fifth-grade science, the proficient share is around seven percent. When compared with other districts across Jackson County, Banneker’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile, meaning its results are among the lowest in the county. There is only a single year of testing data available for the school, so it is not possible to see whether these numbers are improving or declining over time. A parent considering this school should look further into the academic supports in place, such as intervention programs, tutoring, or curriculum approaches, and may want to visit classrooms or speak with the principal about how the school is addressing student achievement.

The school’s location in Kansas City means families have access to a major urban center with a mix of commercial districts, cultural institutions, and civic amenities, though the city is largely car-dependent outside of walkable pockets like downtown and the Country Club Plaza area. Housing costs in the ZIP code where the school sits are notably below both the state and national averages, and rents are also relatively affordable. For a family, this may make homeownership or renting more attainable here than in many other parts of the metro area.

Because Banneker serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline were available. The school’s environment and staffing details were also not included in the available information. While the district has regained full accreditation and posted a score that kept it in that status, the school itself faces clear academic challenges that are well-documented in the state test results. For a family whose priority is a school with strong test scores or a peer group with high baseline proficiency, Banneker would not fit that profile. For a family already in the neighborhood who values proximity, a familiar community setting, and wants to engage directly with the school’s efforts to raise student performance, it is worth learning more about what specific programs and supports the school offers and how the district is working to improve outcomes across its elementary schools.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 36%

School 6% · District 19% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 18% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 510%

School 10% · District 14% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 22% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 313%

School 13% · District 20% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 49%

School 9% · District 18% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 59%

School 9% · District 21% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 20% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 17% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 34 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

This schoolKANSAS CITY 33, 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.