The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elem.
Franklin Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Liberty, Missouri, part of the Liberty 53 school district. It sits at West Mill Street in the city’s historic core, near the Clay County Courthouse square. Enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, with roughly comparable class sizes across the grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic population and smaller shares of Black students, students of two or more races, and a very small American Indian representation. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school serves a mix of household incomes.
Liberty itself is a mid-sized suburb north of Kansas City, anchored by a historic downtown district and the campus of William Jewell College. The town has grown steadily over recent decades, and the population continued to rise through the early 2020s. The built environment combines older residential neighborhoods around the square with newer suburban development and commercial corridors along the interstate. Major employers in the area include Liberty Public Schools, Liberty Hospital, and several manufacturing and distribution firms, so the local economy is diversified. The district approved a large bond issue in 2024 without a tax rate increase, directing funds toward facility improvements, safety upgrades, technology, and classroom additions across the district. That investment will affect Franklin Elementary’s physical plant and learning environment over the coming years.
On state assessments in the most recent testing year, Franklin’s results show a mixed picture. In English language arts, the school posted solid proficiency rates for third and fourth graders, with the third-grade share exceeding half of test takers and fourth-grade results close behind. Fifth-grade ELA results were suppressed, likely because the tested group was too small for public reporting under state guidelines. In mathematics, the pattern was less consistent. Fourth graders performed at roughly the same level as their ELA peers, with a majority reaching proficiency, but third and fifth graders both showed a much smaller share reaching the proficient threshold. Science results for fifth grade were also suppressed. Across all reported grades and subjects, Franklin’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Clay County. That means the school’s composite performance trails the middle of the county’s districts, though it is not at the bottom. A parent may want to ask the school about the dip in math scores for the lower and upper elementary grades and what interventions are in place.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. No chronic absenteeism data was available in the public records reviewed, and information on special education and English learner populations was also missing. Those are gaps a family would need to fill through direct inquiry with the district.
Housing in the Franklin attendance area reflects the broader Liberty market. Home values in the ZIP code are moderately above the Missouri state benchmark, with a modest year-over-year gain, and rents have also risen slightly. The typical rent is a manageable share of a median-income household’s earnings, but buying carries a higher price-to-income ratio than the national average. The community continues to attract new residents, which suggests steady demand for school capacity.
Franklin Elementary is a neighborhood school in a growing district with a historic town center and a mix of older and newer housing. Its academic performance has clear strengths in early elementary literacy, but math proficiency varies by grade and the overall index sits below the county midpoint. Families looking for a smaller elementary setting in a town with a distinct identity and a recent commitment to facility investment will want to consider both the reported results and the gaps in data that require follow-up with the school.
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