Kansas City Public Schools, Missouri

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Kansas City Public Schools
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Kansas City, Missouri
District details
Superintendent: Mark Bedell
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Kansas City Public Schools is a school district in Missouri.


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Superintendent[edit]

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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Mark Bedell is the superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools. Bedell was appointed superintendent in 2016. Bedell's previous career experience includes working as the assistant superintendent for high schools of Baltimore County Public Schools, school improvement officer for the Houston Independent School District, and as a principal.[1]

Past superintendents[edit]

  • Allan Tunis was the interim superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools from 2015 to 2016.[2]
  • R. Stephen Green was the superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools from 2011 to 2015. Green's previous career experience included working as the CEO of Kauffman Scholars, Inc. and as instructional superintendent for Region 3 of the New York City Board of Education.[3]

School board elections[edit]

The Kansas City Public Schools Board of Directors consists of seven members to four-year terms.[4] In 2019, the board switched from three at-large seats to two. The remaining five seats are elected by-district.

The 2019 election was held with a new map including five sub-districts and two at-large seats. The board was previously composed of nine members.[5][6]


Office Name Date assumed office
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education At-large Tanesha Ford April 15, 2021
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education At-large Jennifer Wolfsie 2016
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education Sub-district 1 Rita Cortes 2019
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education Sub-district 2 Nathaniel Hogan 2019
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education Sub-district 3 Manny Abarca 2019
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education Sub-district 4 Marvia Jones 2019
Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education Sub-district 5 Kandace Buckner April 15, 2021


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This officeholder information was last updated on April 19, 2021. Please contact us with any updates.
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Election dates[edit]

See also: Kansas City Public Schools elections in 2016, 2019, & 2021

Members of the Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education are elected to four-year terms.[7]

Four seats on the board were up for general election on April 6, 2021.

Public participation in board meetings[edit]

The Kansas City Schools Board of Education maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[8]

The Kansas City School Board welcomes public comment during its regular business meeting to provide families and community members an opportunity to communicate their interests and concerns. The Board uses the public comment period as an opportunity to listen and receive information, but not to debate issues or enter into a question-and-answer session.
  • Individuals interested in providing public comment during the Board’s regular monthly business meeting should contact the Office of Board Services before 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting (normally the fourth Wednesday of the month) by calling (816) 418-7621 or via email at board@kcpublicschools.org. Alternatively, individuals may sign the “Speaking at the Board Meeting” sheet at the meeting before 6:15 p.m. on the day of the Business Meeting.
  • The Board Secretary will ask if there is a topic that you wish to address. This query allows the Board to make the agenda more transparent by adding that information to the agenda. Please include your name, address, phone number and topic.
  • The Board allows for up to 10 speakers per public comment period. The Board Chair will call on individuals who sign up to speak; substitutions are not permitted.
  • During the public comment portion of the meeting, the Board Chair will call each individual to the podium in the order in which they signed up.
    • Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes.
    • Speakers may provide written information to support their commentary.
    • Comments must be acceptable for a business and family-friendly environment: Inappropriate language, gestures or personal attacks will not be tolerated.
    • The Message Cube is available to submit questions during meetings. This gives the public a chance to ask questions related to agenda items. Please call (816) 213-0997 during the meeting.[9]

Budget[edit]

From 1993 to 2013, the Kansas City Public Schools had an average of $356,644,048 in revenue and $344,973,333 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. The district had a yearly average of $17,580,952 in outstanding debt. The district retired $761,905 of its debt and issued $1,626,381 in new debt each year on average.[10]

Revenue[edit]

The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal.

Revenue by Source
Fiscal
Year
Local State Federal Revenue Total
Total % of Revenue Total % of Revenue Total % of Revenue
2010$136,498,00047.42%$79,541,00027.63%$71,812,00024.95%$287,851,000
2011$137,752,00053.15%$60,666,00023.41%$60,762,00023.44%$259,180,000
2012$133,645,00057.64%$56,288,00024.28%$41,920,00018.08%$231,853,000
2013$138,944,00061.45%$48,415,00021.41%$38,765,00017.14%$226,124,000
Avg.$148,799,19042.93%$166,663,19044.86%$41,181,66712.21%$356,644,048

Expenditures[edit]

The table below separates the district's expenditures into five categories identified by the agency:

  • Instruction: operation expenditures, state payments on behalf of the district for instruction and benefits, and retirement system transfers
  • Support Services: support services, food services, and retirement system transfers for support service staff
  • Capital Spending: capital outlay expenditures (i.e., construction, land or facilities purchases, and equipment purchases)
  • Debt & Gov. Payments: payments to state and local governments and interest on school system debt
  • Other: all other non-K-12 programs, except food services
Expenditures by Category
Fiscal
Year
Instruction Support Services Capital Spending Debt & Gov. Payments Other Budget
Total
Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget
2010$134,720,00045.48%$142,171,00047.99%$9,166,0003.09%$398,0000.13%$9,781,0003.30%$296,236,000
2011$134,000,00049.47%$109,337,00040.37%$11,996,0004.43%$2,267,0000.84%$13,264,0004.90%$270,864,000
2012$90,042,00041.90%$96,273,00044.79%$14,446,0006.72%$2,641,0001.23%$11,521,0005.36%$214,923,000
2013$86,518,00037.19%$105,819,00045.49%$25,744,00011.07%$3,561,0001.53%$10,966,0004.71%$232,608,000
Avg.$156,624,61945.34%$147,517,28642.87%$30,795,0488.66%$1,205,2380.43%$8,831,1432.70%$344,973,333

Debt

The table below shows the amount of debt retired, issued, and outstanding in the district for each year.

Debt
Fiscal
Year
Retired Issued Outstanding
2010$0$17,880,000$17,880,000
2011$0$16,274,000$34,154,000
2012$0$0$34,154,000
2013$0$0$34,154,000
Avg.$761,905$1,626,381$17,580,952

Teacher salaries[edit]

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2020-2021[11] $40,500 $85,829


Academic performance[edit]

Proficiency assessments[edit]

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[12]

Mathematics[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[13]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2018-2019 20 38 13 23 <50 30-34 43
2017-2018 20 35 12 25 <20 30-34 40
2016-2017 22 30-34 15 27 <50 35-39 40
2015-2016 22 40-44 15 28 ≤20 35-39 37
2014-2015 21 35-39 14 26 ≤20 25-29 33
2013-2014 27 40-44 20 35 21-39 30-39 42
2012-2013 29 40-44 22 38 21-39 21-39 45
2011-2012 30 40-44 24 38 21-39 PS 45
2010-2011 26 40-44 21 32 21-39 PS 41

Reading/language arts[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[13]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2018-2019 24 36 17 26 <50 35-39 48
2017-2018 24 31 17 28 21-39 35-39 46
2016-2017 35 45-49 27 40 <50 50-54 56
2015-2016 34 42 27 40 40-59 45-49 54
2014-2015 32 40-44 26 37 40-59 40-44 48
2013-2014 27 30-34 23 29 40-59 40-49 43
2012-2013 29 30-34 25 31 40-59 40-59 47
2011-2012 27 30-34 25 27 40-59 PS 41
2010-2011 29 40-44 26 28 40-59 PS 44

Graduation rates[edit]

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:[13][14]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2017-2018 71 90-94 72 60-64 PS ≥50 75-79
2016-2017 72 80-89 75 60-64 PS ≥50 70-74
2015-2016 69 80-89 69 65-69 PS PS 65-69
2014-2015 65 70-79 67 60-64 PS PS 55-59
2013-2014 63 70-79 69 45-49 PS PS 45-49
2012-2013 67 80-89 69 60-64 PS N/A 65-69
2011-2012 63 70-79 66 60-64 PS N/A 45-49
2010-2011 50 60-69 54 45-49 PS N/A 30-34


Student enrollment[edit]

Year[15] Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2018-2019 14,978 -2.6
2017-2018 15,370 0.3
2016-2017 15,322 -1.6
2015-2016 15,573 2.1
2014-2015 15,258 0.2
2013-2014 15,230 -9.5
2012-2013 16,831 1.3
2011-2012 16,610 4.9
2010-2011 15,835 -14.1
2009-2010 18,424 -6.9
2008-2009 19,788 -21.1
2007-2008 25,094 -7.0
2006-2007 26,980 -22.2
2005-2006 34,700 -1.0
2004-2005 35,036 -8.4
2003-2004 38,242 -0.3
2002-2003 38,369 -0.4
2001-2002 38,523 3.4
2000-2001 37,265 -2.2
1999-2000 38,098 0.8
1998-1999 37,809 -2.2
1997-1998 38,643 0.5
1996-1997 38,453 5.3
1995-1996 36,515 -0.2
1994-1995 36,598 0.0
1993-1994 36,599 2.2
1992-1993 35,806 1.6
1991-1992 35,227 2.1
1990-1991 34,486 -0.4
1989-1990 34,640 -1.4
1988-1989 35,146 -1.0
1987-1988 35,500 -1.9
1986-1987 36,200 -


About the district[edit]

Kansas City Public Schools is located in Jackson County, Missouri.
Kansas City Public Schools is located in Jackson County, Missouri. It is classified as a large city school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 14,978 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised 35 schools.[16]


During the 2018-2019 school year, 99.5% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 23.3% were English language learners, and 12.9% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP).[17]

Racial Demographics, 2018-2019
Race Kansas City Public Schools (%) Missouri K-12 students (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native N/A 0.4
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 4.0 2.1
Black 57.1 15.7
Hispanic 26.7 6.7
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.6 0.3
Two or More Races 1.8 4.3
White 9.5 70.6

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Noteworthy events[edit]

2011-2019: School district accreditation classification changes[edit]

Prior to 2011, Kansas City Public Schools had been provisionally accredited for more than nine years, following a two-year period where it was unaccredited.[18]

In 2011, the school district was stripped of its accreditation by the Missouri Board of Education. The state board cited instability in district leadership and failure to improve academic performance in its decision. The district's unaccredited classification was made effective in January 2012.[18][19]

In 2014, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education voted unanimously to classify Kansas City Public Schools as provisionally accredited based on the district’s preliminary 2014 annual performance report and since the district scored in the provisional range for two years in a row.[19] In the 2014–2015 school year, the school district had 13 schools that met the state standard for full accreditation and eight schools met the standard for provisional accreditation.[20]

In 2019 at the state school board's monthly meeting, state board of education officials announced their recommendation that Kansas City Public Schools should remain provisionally accredited, citing the district's latest performance report.[21]

2015: Lawsuit regarding student protest in response to fatal shooting of Michael Brown settled[edit]

In November 2014, Governor Jay Nixon (D) gave a speech at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy. Students protested the fatal shooting of Michael Brown during the speech by refusing to sit down. In response to the protests, school officials placed the participating students in a Saturday detention. The following month, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the school district, claiming that the students' right to free speech had been violated. The school claimed that students were given detention because they did not sit during the speech, not for exercising their right to free speech. In 2015, the school district and the ACLU settled the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri Judge Dean Whipple dismissed the case.[22]

Contact information[edit]

Kansas City Public Schools seal.jpg
Kansas City Public Schools
2901 Troost Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64109
Phone: 816-418-7000

See also[edit]

Missouri School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. Kansas City Public Schools, "Superintendent," accessed April 19, 2021
  2. Kansas City Public Schools, "Transition," archived July 16, 2015
  3. Kansas City Public Schools, "Superintendent: Transition News," archived May 25, 2015
  4. Kansas City Public Schools, "Board of Directors," accessed April 19, 2021
  5. Kansas City Public Schools, "About the Board of Directors," archived July 29, 2013
  6. KCUR 89.3, "Why New Election Maps Could Mean Changes Ahead For Kansas City Public Schools," May 9, 2018
  7. Missouri School Boards Association, "School Board Candidates," accessed February 23, 2021
  8. Kansas City Public Schools, "Public Comment Procedures for Monthly Business Meetings," revised February 26, 2020
  9. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  10. United States Census Bureau, "Public School System Finances: Historical Data," accessed December 1, 2015
  11. Kansas City Public Schools, "2020-2021 Teacher Salary Schedule," accessed April 19, 2021
  12. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 To protect student privacy, percentages were reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five (5) or fewer students were included in a data set, the data was replaced by "PS."
  14. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "Four-Year Adjusted-Cohort Graduation Rates - School Year 2017-18 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  15. National Center for Education Statistics, "ElSi tableGenerator," accessed March 8, 2021
  16. National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
  17. National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021
  18. 18.0 18.1 The New York Times, "Kansas City, Mo., School District Loses Its Accreditation," September 20, 2011
  19. 19.0 19.1 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, "Kansas City Public Schools Receives Provisional Accreditation," August 6, 2014
  20. Kansas City Public Schools, "History of KCPS: State accreditation," accessed April 19, 2021
  21. National Public Radio, KCUR 89.3, "Kansas City Public Schools Misses Full Accreditation, Faces Fallout From Fake Attendance Numbers," December 3, 2019
  22. KBIA: Mid-Missouri Public Radio, "Kansas City Public Schools Settles ACLU Suit," March 2, 2015

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