Independence Middle

Independence Middle is an intermediate school of average-sized scale in Independence, Kansas, part of Independence, hosting 376 students in grades 6 through 8.

Independence Middle is one of 5 schools operated by Independence, a district that teaches 1,629 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Independence Middle shows that 70% of the student body identifies as White. The remainder breaks down as 15% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, 3% Black. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 78%.

On the resource side, On paper, Independence Middle has 31 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.0:1. The state averages about 12.7:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 75% of students at Independence Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, Independence Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 26.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 28.1%.

In the area at large, community-level numbers for Montgomery County indicate median household earnings sit near $55,697, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 12%. Across Montgomery County's 14 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,736 students), Independence Middle is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Independence Sr High, roughly 0.7 miles away. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Independence Middle comes 5th of 7 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 36.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a town-center area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 25%: 500 students in 2018 compared to 376 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment edged up from 9% to 15% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 13.6:1 in 2018 to 12.0:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.