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If you could change one rule at PLAZA MIDDLE, what would it be?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
673
Middle
DISTRICT 664 · STATE 461
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PARK HILL·NCES 292355001369
PLAZA MIDDLE
6501 NW 72ND ST, KANSAS CITY, MO 64151 · (816) 359-4210 · Platte County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL673 STUDENTS
C
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 32% of Missouri public middle schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- DThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Missouri public middle schools
Student : Teacher
12.4:1
54 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.2:1 · STATE 13.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
35%
233 students
DISTRICT 30% · STATE 54%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 218 | 32% |
| Grade 7 | 244 | 36% |
| Grade 8 | 211 | 31% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 58% · STATE 52% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
42.7%
MO avg 44.9% . -5.9pp since 2021
Math
43.3%
MO avg 43.8% . -5.4pp since 2021
What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 43 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores are down about 6 points since 2021, while math scores are down about 5 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 15.2% | 27.5% | 42.1% | 15.0% |
| Math | 17.6% | 25.7% | 34.7% | 21.8% |
Share of tested students at each MAP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
MAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 42.7% | 43.3% |
| 2023-24 | 42.0% | 43.5% |
| 2022-23 | 45.2% | 48.3% |
| 2021-22 | 48.6% | 48.7% |
% Proficient + Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
41.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
46.9%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 41% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 47% typical for Missouri schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Missouri's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like PLAZA MIDDLE
PLAZA MIDDLE's state test result (41.2% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLAZA MIDDLE this school | 673 | 34.6% | 41.2% |
| CONGRESS MIDDLE KANSAS CITY | 601 | 30.9% | 41.8% |
| WALDEN MIDDLE KANSAS CITY | 730 | 30.1% | 49.0% |
| GATEWAY 6TH GRADE CENTER Kansas City | 882 | 36.1% | 58.4% |
| MORELAND RIDGE MIDDLE BLUE SPRINGS | 813 | 31.0% | 51.9% |
| JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL COLUMBIA | 593 | 32.4% | 56.5% |
Matched among Missouri middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where PLAZA MIDDLE ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Missouri | In Platte County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 41.2% | #191 of 379 | #8 of 8 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 43.3% | #202 of 380 ▼ 22 | #7 of 8 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.7% | #158 of 380 ▼ 6 | #7 of 8 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -5.7pp | #36 of 364 | #3 of 7 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 673 | #92 of 397 | #2 of 8 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.4:1 | #95 of 321 | #3 of 6 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 63.8% | #34 of 321 | #2 of 6 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 34.6% | #282 of 379 | #2 of 8 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -22.8% | #30 of 224 | N/A |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
673
-16 (-2%) vs 2020
+12% since 1990-91, when it was 602
Student : Teacher
12.4:1
was 13.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 673 | 54.5 | 12.4:1 | 35% (233) |
| 2023-24 | 676 | 54.6 | 12.4:1 | 29% (198) |
| 2022-23 | 715 | 53.5 | 13.4:1 | 30% (215) |
| 2020-21 | 689 | 51 | 13.5:1 | 31% (215) |
| 2017-18 | 872 | 56 | 15.6:1 | 26% (229) |
| 2015-16 | 817 | 51 | 16.0:1 | 30% (247) |
| 2010-11 | 780 | 50 | 15.6:1 | 26% (200) |
| 2000-01 | 608 | 43 | 14.1:1 | 17% (106) |
| 1990-91 | 602 | 53 | 11.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for PLAZA MIDDLE.
Since 2017-18: students down 23% (872 to 673); teachers down 3% (56 to 54.5).
About PLAZA MIDDLE
This page covers PLAZA MIDDLE, a mid-sized middle school in KANSAS CITY, Missouri. The school enrolls 673 students in grades 6 through 8. On average, middle schools in Missouri enroll around 461, and this school is 46% larger than that mark.
PARK HILL operates 18 schools. Combined enrollment is 11,937 students.
Of every 100 students at PLAZA MIDDLE, about 56 are White. Beyond that, enrollment is 18% Black, 12% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, and 4% Asian. The White share of the county population is higher, at 79%. The diversity index for PLAZA MIDDLE is 64%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
The school has 54.5 full-time-equivalent teachers and a ratio of 12.4 students per teacher. The average for middle schools in Missouri is about 13.0:1. The school reported 35% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25.
PLAZA MIDDLE earns a C on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 32% of Missouri public middle schools.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, PLAZA MIDDLE is 5.7 points below its prediction. Actual: 41.2%. Predicted: 46.9%.
In Platte County, where the school is located, the median household earns about $96,227 a year, 47% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in Platte County number 37, with about 17,612 students.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, THOMAS B. CHINN ELEM., is about 0.6 miles. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools. PLAZA MIDDLE is 7th of 8 nearby schools by average proficiency rate.
Its NCES locale code is City: Large: the school is inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
The school's size has been steady, with 689 students in 2020-21 and 673 in 2024-25. The ratio of students to teachers went from 13.5:1 to 12.4:1 over the same years.
On allk12, people connected to PLAZA MIDDLE can post about pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Platte County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
110,371
Census ACS
Median income
$96,227
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
47%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
37
17,612 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in PARK HILL
- PARK HILL HIGHHigh · 1,947 students
- PARK HILL SOUTH HIGHHigh · 1,890 students
- WALDEN MIDDLEMiddle · 730 students
- LAKEVIEW MIDDLEMiddle · 653 students
- UNION CHAPEL ELEM.Elementary · 609 students
- CONGRESS MIDDLEMiddle · 601 students
Other schools in KANSAS CITY
- STALEY HIGHHigh · 2,091 students
- PARK HILL HIGHHigh · 1,947 students
- OAK PARK HIGHHigh · 1,755 students
- NORTH KANSAS CITY HIGHHigh · 1,719 students
- RUSKIN HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 1,299 students
- WINNETONKA HIGHHigh · 1,238 students
Other Plaza Middle schools
One other US public school is named Plaza Middle. PLAZA MIDDLE is the 2nd largest of the 2.
- Plaza MiddleVirginia Beach, VA · 1,033 students
Nearby schools
- THOMAS B. CHINN ELEM.0.6 mi · 466
- ENGLISH LANDING ELEM.0.8 mi · 435
- LAKEVIEW MIDDLE0.9 mi · 653
- PRAIRIE POINT ELEM.1.1 mi · 437
- GERNER FAMILY EARLY ED CTR.1.5 mi · 392
- ALFRED L. RENNER ELEM.1.5 mi · 403
Frequently asked questions
About PLAZA MIDDLEWhat is the total enrollment at PLAZA MIDDLE?
PLAZA MIDDLE enrolls approximately 673 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does PLAZA MIDDLE serve?
PLAZA MIDDLE serves grades 06-08.
How many teachers does PLAZA MIDDLE have?
PLAZA MIDDLE employs 54 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.4:1.
What is the student diversity at PLAZA MIDDLE?
Student demographics at PLAZA MIDDLE are roughly 56% White, 12% Hispanic, 18% Black, 4% Asian, 7% Two or more.
What district is PLAZA MIDDLE in?
PLAZA MIDDLE is part of PARK HILL.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.