What the numbers tell us about KC’s schools

Step into a classroom in Lee’s Summit or walk the hallways of a KCK school and the issues are similar: Educators say they are still playing pandemic catch-up. The story of public education in the metro is one of slow recovery and uneven progress.

While the 30-plus public school districts in the greater Kansas City area operate under different state and local systems, the same challenges echo across the region: academic setbacks, teacher shortages and a push to close achievement gaps that were exacerbated during Covid.

Missouri: Steady Climb, Uneven Results

On the Missouri side, schools have made quiet but measurable gains. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s 2024 Annual Performance Report shows districts averaging 79 percent of possible points, a modest increase from the previous year. Yet proficiency rates reveal a more sobering picture. Only 46 percent of students scored at or above proficiency in English and math on the state’s 2023–24 Missouri Assessment Program exams.

In Missouri’s Kansas City Public Schools, the numbers fall well below the state average—about 18 percent proficient in math and 23 percent in reading, according to state testing data and district accountability reports. Even high-performing suburban districts such as Blue Springs, Park Hill and Lee’s Summit are still working to close post-pandemic learning gaps, with internal assessments showing that many students remain roughly half a grade level behind in core subjects.

Missouri’s long-term goal remains ambitious. As part of the “Missouri 2030” workforce initiative, the state’s goal is to have 60 percent of working-age adults holding a degree or credential in five years. For K–12 educators, that means doubling down on early literacy, career pathways and dual-credit programs designed to build momentum before graduation.

Kansas: The Tale of Two Systems

Across the border, Kansas paints a story of contrasts. In Blue Valley and Olathe, students consistently outperform national averages. Blue Valley reported graduation rates above 95 percent and among the highest proficiency rates in the state, per the Kansas State Department of Education.

A short drive west tells a different story. In KCK Public Schools, roughly 13 to 15 percent of students scored proficient in math or reading in 2023–24, and the graduation rate hovered near 69 percent compared to the statewide average of about 88 percent, according to KSDE.

The disparities reflect the region’s deep socioeconomic divide. Suburban Johnson County districts benefit from higher tax bases while urban Wyandotte County faces persistent challenges tied to poverty.

Still, Kansas districts are pursuing recovery strategies similar to Missouri’s: expanded pre-K programs, one-on-one tutoring, mental-health partnerships and targeted literacy support through various local initiatives.

A Region in Recovery

The Kansas City metro’s education story isn’t just about data—it’s about resilience across shared borders. Chronic absenteeism, teacher shortages and post-pandemic learning gaps affect both states, though the pace of recovery varies widely by district.

Attendance has become a key barometer of progress. State data show chronic absenteeism rising to 28 percent in Kansas City, Kansas, and 23 percent in Kansas City, Missouri, up from pre-pandemic averages near 15 percent.

Still, the metro’s educators are finding momentum through small gains in test scores, new investments in technology and tutoring, and community partnerships that stretch beyond district lines. 

By the Numbers: KC Metro Private Schools

The Kansas City metro area stretches across nine counties in two states, and its private-school scene is as diverse as its barbecue styles. According to data from Private School Review (privateschoolreview.com) and School Digger (schooldigger.com) for the 2025–26 school year, the region hosts roughly 185 private schools overall—but nearly a quarter are preschool-only. After excluding pre-K private schools, an estimated 140 to 160 private schools remain.

Together these institutions educate tens of thousands of students—from faith-based academies to independent college-prep campuses—making private education a small but steady complement to the metro’s robust public-school network.

Tax Credits and School Choice

When parents in Kansas City talk about school choice, they’re really talking about two different systems. On the Missouri side, lawmakers have expanded a donor-based scholarship program and are debating a refundable credit that could go directly to families. On the Kansas side, legislators are weighing whether to follow suit or stay with a smaller, income-restricted model.

Together, the efforts show how the neighboring states are redefining who pays for—and controls—a child’s education.

Missouri: Scholarships and the Push Toward Refundable Credits

In 2021, Missouri created MOScholars, a program that channels private donations into scholarships for families seeking alternatives to public school, according to Missourinet (missourinet.com). Donors receive a 75 percent state tax credit for contributions to certified Educational Assistance Organizations, which award the scholarships.

The program started with a $50 million cap but grew to $75 million in 2024 as demand rose. Families qualify if they have a child with an Individualized Education Program or if their income is no more than 300 percent of the federal free-and-reduced-lunch threshold—about $93,600 for a family of four. Each scholarship can reach about $6,375 per year, as reported by Missourinet.

Lawmakers are now considering Senate Bills 867 and 565, which would create refundable tax credits for parents to claim directly on their tax returns, according to the Missouri Senate’s bill summaries. The credits would reimburse parents for tuition, books or homeschooling costs up to the state’s “adequacy target”—roughly $6,500 per student.

Proponents, including parent groups, argue it’s about “funding the child, not the system.” Critics, including public-school unions, warn the changes could erode Missouri’s public-school system, leaving the school districts with less money.

Kansas: A Smaller Start, a Bigger Dream

Across the border, Kansas launched the Tax Credit for Low-Income Students Scholarship Program in 2014, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.

The sunflower state’s setup is similar to Missouri’s: Donors get a 75 percent state tax credit for giving to scholarship-granting organizations, which then help pay tuition for eligible students. But Kansas limits participation to families earning 250 percent or less of the federal poverty line and caps the entire program at $10 million a year.

About 1,300 students statewide use the scholarships, with an average award of roughly $3,200, according to data from EdChoice (edchoice.org).

That may soon change. A new bill—Senate Bill 75, introduced in 2025—would allow parents to claim a refundable Education Opportunity Tax Credit of up to $8,000 per child enrolled in an accredited private school or $4,000 per child in a non-accredited school, according to the Kansas Legislature’s supplemental note.

The plan would cap total annual credits at $125 million, increasing by 25 percent in any year when at least 90 percent of the credits are used. SB 75 has cleared the Senate Education Committee and now sits in Ways and Means, where most spending bills are decided.

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