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Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at VAN HORN HIGH this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,067
High
DISTRICT 1,401 · STATE 501
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·INDEPENDENCE 30·NCES 291548003096
VAN HORN HIGH
1109 S ARLINGTON AVE, INDEPENDNCE, MO 64053 · (816) 521-5360 · Jackson County
GRADES 09–12HIGH21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,067 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
16.8:1
64 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 17.5:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
78%
831 students
DISTRICT 75% · STATE 54%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 274 | 26% |
| Grade 10 | 298 | 28% |
| Grade 11 | 269 | 25% |
| Grade 12 | 226 | 21% |
Student demographics
69%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 69% · 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
37.6%
MO avg 44.9% . +8.8pp since 2021
Math
22.7%
MO avg 43.8% . +12.9pp since 2021
What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 38 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 23 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores are up about 9 points since 2021, while math scores are up about 13 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 2.3% | 35.3% | 35.3% | 26.9% |
| Math | 10.8% | 11.9% | 25.6% | 51.5% |
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 | 37.6% | 22.7% |
| 2023-24 | N/A | 12.6% |
| 2022-23 | 35.0% | 15.2% |
| 2021-22 | 28.8% | 9.8% |
% 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
25.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
30.7%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 25% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 31% 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 VAN HORN HIGH
VAN HORN HIGH's state test result (25.4% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAN HORN HIGH this school | 1,067 | 77.9% | 25.4% |
| TRUMAN HIGH INDEPENDENCE | 1,720 | 62.2% | 34.0% |
| CARTHAGE HIGH SCHOOL CARTHAGE | 1,626 | 56.9% | 36.0% |
| MCDONALD COUNTY HIGH ANDERSON | 1,075 | 65.5% | 28.4% |
| PURDY HIGH PURDY | 267 | 63.7% | 27.7% |
| WILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGH INDEPENDENCE | 1,417 | 70.4% | 34.5% |
Matched among Missouri high 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 VAN HORN HIGH ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Missouri | In Jackson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 25.4% | #352 of 443 | #22 of 34 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 22.7% | #349 of 453 ▲ 64 | #20 of 34 ▲ 7 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 37.6% | #294 of 382 | #19 of 30 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +10.9pp | #29 of 231 | #5 of 21 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,067 | #91 of 561 | #15 of 38 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.8:1 | #293 of 343 | #22 of 30 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 69.3% | #7 of 343 | #2 of 30 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 77.9% | #77 of 455 | #16 of 34 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +12.3% | #56 of 151 | #8 of 17 |
Ranked against other public high 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
1,067
-16 (-1%) vs 2020
+33% since 2010-11, when it was 805
Student : Teacher
16.8:1
was 18.7:1
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 | 1,067 | 63.5 | 16.8:1 | 78% (831) |
| 2023-24 | 1,113 | 61.3 | 18.1:1 | 79% (881) |
| 2022-23 | 1,047 | 60.5 | 17.3:1 | 72% (754) |
| 2020-21 | 1,083 | 58 | 18.7:1 | 83% (899) |
| 2017-18 | 950 | 57.1 | 16.6:1 | 83% (786) |
| 2015-16 | 999 | 60 | 16.6:1 | 81% (810) |
| 2010-11 | 805 | 46 | 17.5:1 | 68% (551) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for VAN HORN HIGH.
Since 2017-18: students up 12% (950 to 1,067); teachers up 11% (57.1 to 63.5).
About VAN HORN HIGH
VAN HORN HIGH is one of the public schools in INDEPENDNCE, Missouri. It is a large high school. Classes run from 9 through 12, and the school has 1,067 students. The average for high schools in Missouri is about 501 students, so this school is 113% above average.
District-wide, INDEPENDENCE 30 has 29 schools and 14,272 students.
VAN HORN HIGH's enrollment has no majority group, and Hispanic students are the largest at 39%. It is also 35% White, 15% Black, and 11% multiracial. Jackson County's residents are about 11% Hispanic, 27 points below the school's share. The chance that two students picked at random at VAN HORN HIGH belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 69%.
The ratio of students to teachers is 16.8:1, with 63.5 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. For comparison, high schools in Missouri average 12.2:1. The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is 78%. The average for public schools in Jackson County is 60%.
The model predicts 30.7% for a school in Missouri with VAN HORN HIGH's free or reduced-price lunch share. VAN HORN HIGH posts 25.4%.
Census estimates describe Jackson County this way: median household income is about $68,577, roughly 34% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. The public schools of Jackson County number 244 and enroll about 105,714.
Of nearby public schools, FAIRMOUNT ELEM. is the closest, at about 1.1 miles. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. Among 8 nearby schools that report test results, VAN HORN HIGH ranks 8th on proficiency.
The federal government classifies VAN HORN HIGH's location as Suburb: Large.
Enrollment went from 1,083 in 2020-21 to 1,067 in 2024-25, a change of 16 students. The ratio of students to teachers went from 18.7:1 to 16.8:1 over the same years.
Posts about school safety, transportation, and start times are welcome on this page. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Jackson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
719,976
Census ACS
Median income
$68,577
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
34%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
244
105,714 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in INDEPENDENCE 30
- TRUMAN HIGHHigh · 1,720 students
- WILLIAM CHRISMAN HIGHHigh · 1,417 students
- CLIFFORD H. NOWLIN MIDDLEMiddle · 902 students
- BRIDGER MIDDLEMiddle · 744 students
- PIONEER RIDGE MIDDLEMiddle · 731 students
- BINGHAM MIDDLEMiddle · 730 students
Nearby schools
- FAIRMOUNT ELEM.1.1 mi · 313
- KORTE ELEM.1.4 mi · 444
- KC INTERNATIONAL-WALLACE1.4 mi · 662
- SUGAR CREEK ELEM.1.7 mi · 134
- CLIFFORD H. NOWLIN MIDDLE1.8 mi · 902
- PROCTER ELEM.1.8 mi · 221
Frequently asked questions
About VAN HORN HIGHWhat is the total enrollment at VAN HORN HIGH?
VAN HORN HIGH enrolls approximately 1,067 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does VAN HORN HIGH serve?
VAN HORN HIGH serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at VAN HORN HIGH?
Approximately 16.8:1 students per teacher at VAN HORN HIGH.
How diverse is VAN HORN HIGH?
VAN HORN HIGH reports a student body of 35% White, 39% Hispanic, 15% Black, 1% Asian, 11% Two or more.
Who oversees VAN HORN HIGH?
VAN HORN HIGH is overseen by INDEPENDENCE 30 in Jackson County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.