The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lakewood Elementary
Lakewood Elementary is a regular public school in the North Kansas City 74 district, serving kindergarten through fifth grade in a northside portion of Kansas City that sits in Clay County. The school operates as a neighborhood elementary within one of the largest metro-area public school systems, and its enrollment is small for an elementary building. The student body is diverse, with a white plurality but substantial shares of students who are Hispanic, Black, and of two or more races, along with smaller groups of Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a low-income population at the school. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records.
On state assessments, the picture is partial. Missouri’s MAP testing produces results for grades three through five in math and English language arts, and for grade five in science. At Lakewood, many of those grade-level results are suppressed, likely due to small group sizes, so a full view of academic performance is not possible from this data alone. Among the results that were reported, fourth-grade English language arts showed a proficiency rate at a level many families would consider strong, while fifth-grade math was lower. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint among districts in Clay County, based on the limited set of reported results. That index mixes one higher and one lower outcome, so a parent may want to discuss with the school how the suppressed scores for other grades and subjects inform the full picture.
Because Lakewood does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate. Chronic absenteeism data and discipline records were also not available in the data provided, so readers interested in attendance patterns or school climate should look to the district for that information.
The school sits within Kansas City, a large urban center with a mix of commercial districts, historic neighborhoods, and extensive residential areas. The North Kansas City 74 district is separate from Kansas City Public Schools and covers a portion of the city north of the Missouri River, along with some adjacent communities. Housing in this part of Clay County is a mix of older single-family homes and newer development, with home values and rents that are moderate relative to national averages but vary by specific neighborhood. The district recently had no major parent-relevant changes publicly reported, so the school’s operations and leadership have been stable on that front.
Lakewood Elementary offers a small, diverse K-5 setting within a larger suburban-style district. Families considering the school will find a high-poverty student body and a partial but mixed academic picture on state tests. The above-median composite index relative to other Clay County districts provides some context, though it rests on a narrow set of results. Parents who want a fuller comparison may need to visit the school and review local information on attendance, special programs, and opportunities for enrichment, none of which were detailed in the available data.
See more original research from School Decision →