Kansas City 33 School District, operating as Kansas City Public Schools or KCPS (formerly Kansas City, Missouri School District, or KCMSD), is a school district headquartered at 2901 Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, United States.
The district, which lost accreditation in 2011, regained provisional accreditation from the state in 2014. In November 2016, the district announced it had gotten a high enough score on state accountability measures for the State Board of Education to consider full accreditation. However, the state's education commissioner told KCPS she wanted to see sustained progress. The earliest the district is likely to regain full accreditation is 2018.
In 2016, the district moved from their longtime offices at 1211 McGee in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, to a Midtown location to be closer to district families.
Boundaries
The school district serves most of the residents of Kansas City, Missouri. The school district's borders are not contiguous with the boundaries of Kansas City; notably, it does not serve any of the city north of the Missouri River. Many areas that have been annexed by Kansas City over the years are served by 11 districts based in the suburbs.
It is bordered on the west by the Kansas/Missouri border line and on the east by the Independence and Raytown school districts. It is bordered on the north by the Missouri River. It is bordered on the south by the Hickman Mills school district and, at approximately 85th Street, by the Center school district.
History
1800s
At the end of the Civil War, there were no public schools in the entire state of Missouri. Aside from a limited number of private schools and colleges, there were few educational opportunities. During reconstruction, Radical Republicans advocated for strong statewide public education through several laws and the 1865 Constitution. As a response, the Kansas City Public School district was organized, with the first school board meeting taking place on 1 March 1867. At the time there was 2,150 school age children in the district. Funds were able to be scraped together for the formal start of the school year in October 1867. Eight rooms across the city, from church basements to abandoned dwellings, were secured. Ten teachers started the school year, which increased to 21 by the end of the first year. Bonds were issued for the first public school building, The Washington School, located on the corner of Independence Avenue and Cherry Street. By 1869, it had been enlarged to eight rooms and held seating for 500 pupils. A two room brick building named The Lincoln School, was built in 1869 on the corner of Ninth and Charlotte streets and was the first public segregated school for African American students in Kansas City.
During the Panic of 1873, school funding was stretched as teachers took 10% pay cuts. There was sharp opposition to public education particularly of high school, which was seen as "squandering the people's money." When the school board attempted to construct a high school on 9th Street between Cherry and Holmes, it was criticized for its "extravagance." Instead, it opened what was to become Central High School in a four room building on Eleventh and Locust streets. Originally named Kansas City High School, the school board changed the name to Central School in an effort to outwit the opposition.
By 1897, the district employed almost 500 teachers.
Annexations
Before 1900
April 1885: Portions of District #1 and the Oakley District. April 1886: Portions of the Ashland and Westport Districts. April 1887: Another portion of the Oakley District. February 16, 1899: Entire Westport District.
1900 to 1950
April 16, 1903: Ivanhoe District. September 6, 1906: A portion of the Swope District. October 18, 1906; September 3, 1908; February 4, 1909; September 16, 1910: Four separate portions of the Seven Oaks District. Seven Oaks continued to exist. April 4, 1910: A portion of the Mount Washington District. May 18, 1910: Remaining portion of the Swope District. August 28, 1911: Entire District No. 101. September 7, 1911: Entire Border Star District. September 21, 1911: Another portion of the Seven Oaks District. November 2, 1911: Entire Briston District. November 16, 1911: Entire Mount Washington District. March 21, 1912: Part of the Boone District. August 27, 1912: Shiloh district. February 13, 1913: Remaining portion of the Seven Oaks District. September 2, 1913: A portion of the Center District. December 11, 1916: All of the Leeds District. August 7, 1947: The Ruhl–Hartman District.