Independence’s public schools score below 51% of Kansas districts
The public schools Independence’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 51% of Kansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
What Independence’s schools are like
Independence runs its own schools through grade 12, then shares
Independence runs its own schools through grade 12. From grade 1, they’re joined by students from Sycamore and Drum Creek. The elementary school earns the best grade on the path (A−); the high school earns the lowest (C+). See the path ↓
Math is above the state; reading is just below
Reading proficiency is 36%, 1 point above the state. Math is 31%, 3 points above the state. Both are close enough to average that small changes could flip them. Test scores ↓
How it compares with its neighbors
Counting the two towns on its borders, Independence ranks 1st of 3. Compare ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Test scores are from 2020–21, a pandemic year, so treat small gaps with caution.
How Independence compares
How the School Grade works
- Results, not inputs. Math and reading proficiency on Kansas’s state tests against the state average, plus the four-year graduation rate. Spending and class size are shown but don’t count. Tests: 2020–21; graduation: class of 2020.
- The whole path. A town’s grade follows its kids through every district that serves it, weighted by students tested. Tests count 60%, graduation 40%.
- Graded within the state. Each state writes its own tests, so districts are compared with the rest of Kansas only. A+ is the top 5%, A the next 10%, A− the next 10%, the B range the next 30%, the C range the next 30%, D the rest.
- What a grade can’t tell you. Test results track family income, so we also compare towns with similar incomes. Visit, ask other parents, and read neighbor reviews. It’s our own summary of U.S. Department of Education data, not an official rating.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Independence.
The district
Each district’s own page has its spending, test scores, enrollment and every school.
Close to the state in reading
Independence vs. its neighbors
Independence’s schools rank 1st of 3 among the towns that share its borders. School Grade, by percentile among Kansas districts.
Every school in Independence
7 schools. Grades are based on state tests and graduation. Any other ratings are made by neighbors.
Parents talk
What Independence families are saying about school.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Colleges near Independence
There’s no college in Independence, but 3 are within 30 miles. The closest is Independence Community College in Independence, 2.6 miles away.
Straight-line distance from the center of Independence. Degree-granting colleges with students on campus · College Scorecard · IPEDS.
School data: U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts, F-33 school finance). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within Kansas. Stars are from neighbors.