The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Manor Hill Elem.
Manor Hill Elementary sits in Liberty, a Kansas City suburb in Clay County that blends a historic downtown square with modern residential development. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Liberty 53 district, which recently approved a bond issue for facility improvements, safety upgrades, technology, and new classrooms.
The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic population and smaller Black and multiracial shares. Close to half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making this a moderately economically diverse elementary school in terms of family resources. Liberty itself has grown steadily over the past decades, and the housing market reflects that demand with home values that are above the state average.
On state assessments, the academic picture for Manor Hill is mixed and shows a clear need for attention, particularly in math. In third grade, about one-third of students met proficiency. Fourth-grade math came in higher. Fifth grade saw the sharpest drop, with roughly one-quarter of students reaching proficiency. In English language arts, third graders posted the strongest result, with about half meeting the bar. Fourth-grade reading results were suppressed, meaning the school did not have a reportable figure. Fifth-grade reading came in well below the third-grade mark. Science scores for fifth graders followed a similar pattern to math. Taken together, these results place the school in the bottom quartile among the six districts in Clay County for overall proficiency. A parent may want to ask the school directly what steps are being taken to strengthen math and reading achievement, particularly in the upper elementary grades.
Several typical data points are absent. Information on special education enrollment, English learner population, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, and discipline records were not available. Because Manor Hill serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate, which is expected for this school type. No specific program offerings such as gifted education, art, music, or after-school activities were reported. The district brief notes that the approved bond issue is designed to bring improvements, but the narrative from the school itself about what it offers beyond the core academics is thin.
Liberty itself provides a stable suburban context. The city has a traditional downtown anchored by the Clay County Courthouse, William Jewell College, and a community center. Major employers include the school district, Liberty Hospital, and Hallmark Cards. The area is auto-oriented with access to I-35. Home values in the zip code are above the state median, with rents that are also elevated relative to the area, meaning that families moving into the attendance zone should expect a moderately expensive housing market.
For a family considering Manor Hill, the school offers a conventional elementary experience in a growing suburb with a recently approved district investment in facilities. The economic diversity of the student body is higher than some suburban counterparts, but the academic performance, especially in math and in the later elementary grades, is a soft spot that warrants a direct conversation with school leadership about supports and interventions. The missing data on programs and student subpopulations means a parent has less to go on when trying to match the school to their child's specific needs.
See more original research from School Decision →