Is Gladden Elementary a good school?

Gladden Elementary ranks 506 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Gladden Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 368 students attended Gladden Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Gladden Elementary?

Students at Gladden Elementary are 60% White, 21% Hispanic, 10% African American, 8% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Gladden Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gladden Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Belton Middle School Middle : Mill Creek Upper Elementary High : Belton High

Gladden Elementary

Summary:

Gladden Elementary is a public elementary school located in Belton, Missouri, serving grades K-4 with a total enrollment of 382 students. The school is part of the Belton 124 School District, which is ranked 181 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Gladden Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Missouri elementary schools, with a ranking between 506-721 out of 906-1089 schools over the past 10 years. The school's performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests is generally below the district and state averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) across grades 3 and 4. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.5% of 3rd-grade students at Gladden Elementary were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 33.4% in the Belton 124 district and 40.8% statewide. However, the school has performed relatively well in serving its Hispanic student population and its low socioeconomic status (SES) students, ranking in the top 25% of Missouri elementary schools for this subgroup in the 2023-2024 school year.

Gladden Elementary has consistently had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.0% to 26.7% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 45.58% to 58.64% in recent years, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. While Gladden Elementary's performance is generally lower than the nearby Kentucky Trail Elementary and Wilckens STEAM Academy @Hillcrest, it performs better than some of the nearby schools in the Grandview C-4 district, such as Conn-West Elementary and Butcher-Greene Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-4

405 Westover Rd
Belton, MO 64012-4923

(816) 489-7530

District: Belton 124

SchoolDigger Rank:
506^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,019

Students who attend Gladden Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Belton Middle School
	Mill Creek Upper Elementary
High:	Belton High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 368

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.1%

Hispanic:

21.2%

African American:

9.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.9%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Gladden Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Gladden Elementary ranks worse than 55.8% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Belton 124 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.27. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (60.1%), Hispanic (21.2%), African American (9.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Belton 124 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gladden Elementary is 14.7, which is the 2^nd best among 4 elementary schools in the Belton 124 School District. (See more...)

Compare Gladden Elementary employs 24.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gladden Elementary is $12,019. 2 elementary schools in the Belton 124 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gladden Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Gladden Elementary 506^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Gladden Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Belton 124:

SchoolDigger ranks Belton 124 181^st of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Gladden Elementary?

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Rank History for Gladden Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Gladden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	56.02	446^th	1074	58.5%
2007	41.20	715^th	1080	33.8%
2008	43.77	683^rd	1084	37.0%
2009	48.76	586^th	1053	44.3%
2010	43.07	683^rd	1066	35.9%
2011	44.09	692^nd	1088	36.4%
2012	59.44	453^rd	1085	58.2%
2013	55.38	506^th	1108	54.3%
2014	52.61	531^st	1089	51.2%
2015	70.23	284^th	1058	73.2%
2016	64.95	306^th	865	64.6%
2017	56.05	459^th	1032	55.5%
2018	43.80	598^th	1045	42.8%
2019	42.59	623^rd	1052	40.8%
2021	21.22	721^st	901	20.0%
2022	25.49	687^th	908	24.3%
2023	41.02	557^th	898	38.0%
2024	45.27	506^th	906	44.2%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gladden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	58.61	315^th	887	64.5%
2019	62.99	248^th	907	72.7%
2021	33.28	395^th	574	31.2%
2022	45.34	263^rd	532	50.6%
2024	66.42	140^th	625	77.6%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gladden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	63.44	22^nd	105	79.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Gladden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	31.43	644^th	898	28.3%
2019	32.47	659^th	917	28.1%
2021	14.30	623^rd	691	9.8%
2023	17.61	593^rd	673	11.9%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Gladden Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	422	422
1992	408	17	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	431
1993	398	17	9	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
1994	483	11	1	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	510
1995	450	13	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
1996	450	13	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
1997	484	8	3	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	506
1998	454	15	5	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	486
1999	451	14	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
2000	341	9	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	364
2001	370	22	2	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
2002	383	41	2	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	442
2003	383	41	2	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	442
2004	381	46	5	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	453
2005	332	42	8	29	4	n/a	n/a	0	415
2006	320	49	1	27	2	n/a	n/a	0	399
2007	308	42	3	24	6	n/a	n/a	0	383
2008	290	34	4	22	2	n/a	n/a	0	352
2009	305	38	2	25	2	n/a	n/a	0	372
2010	296	39	2	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	374
2011	288	39	7	32	2	0	0	0	368
2012	300	38	6	29	1	1	6	0	381
2013	286	27	7	36	2	1	8	0	367
2014	275	21	6	40	2	2	5	0	351
2015	249	20	2	30	2	5	23	0	331
2016	248	26	1	54	1	8	22	0	360
2017	236	19	3	63	1	4	25	0	351
2018	224	20	1	57	2	3	24	0	331
2019	214	19	0	65	1	3	28	0	330
2020	271	32	1	73	2	3	37	0	419
2021	280	48	2	81	0	3	35	0	449
2022	271	42	0	77	2	2	36	0	430
2023	220	46	1	76	4	1	34	0	382
2024	221	36	0	78	4	0	29	0	368

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gladden Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	422	30.6	13.7	n/a
1992	431	32.7	13.1	19.7
1993	426	31.4	13.6	39.2
1994	510	29.4	17.3	26.5
1995	475	30.1	15.8	26.9
1996	475	30.1	15.8	26.9
1997	506	30.7	16.5	19.8
1998	486	30.1	16.1	20.6
1999	479	30.9	15.5	28.6
2000	364	25.6	14.2	25.8
2001	403	31.6	12.8	44.4
2002	442	29.5	15.0	31.4
2003	442	29.5	15.0	31.4
2004	453	29.5	15.4	32.9
2005	415	29.5	14.1	35.9
2006	399	27.1	14.7	39.8
2007	383	26.1	14.7	45.7
2008	352	28.4	12.4	40.6
2009	372	28.5	13.0	51.9
2010	374	25.5	14.6	56.4
2011	368	25.8	14.2	52.2
2012	381	26.8	14.2	53
2013	367	27.0	13.5	57.2
2014	351	25.0	14.0	56.4
2015	331	25.0	13.2	51.4
2016	360	25.0	14.4	58.9
2017	351	26.5	13.2	61
2018	331	25.0	13.2	59.8
2019	330	25.6	12.8	60.6
2020	419	28.0	14.9	75.9
2021	449	26.7	16.8	49.7
2022	430	31.0	13.8	45.6
2023	382	28.8	13.2	58.6
2024	368	24.9	14.7	70.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Gladden Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	422	30.6	13.7	n/a
1992	431	32.7	13.1	19.7
1993	426	31.4	13.6	39.2
1994	510	29.4	17.3	26.5
1995	475	30.1	15.8	26.9
1996	475	30.1	15.8	26.9
1997	506	30.7	16.5	19.8
1998	486	30.1	16.1	20.6
1999	479	30.9	15.5	28.6
2000	364	25.6	14.2	25.8
2001	403	31.6	12.8	44.4
2002	442	29.5	15.0	31.4
2003	442	29.5	15.0	31.4
2004	453	29.5	15.4	32.9
2005	415	29.5	14.1	35.9
2006	399	27.1	14.7	39.8
2007	383	26.1	14.7	45.7
2008	352	28.4	12.4	40.6
2009	372	28.5	13.0	51.9
2010	374	25.5	14.6	56.4
2011	368	25.8	14.2	52.2
2012	381	26.8	14.2	53
2013	367	27.0	13.5	57.2
2014	351	25.0	14.0	56.4
2015	331	25.0	13.2	51.4
2016	360	25.0	14.4	58.9
2017	351	26.5	13.2	61
2018	331	25.0	13.2	59.8
2019	330	25.6	12.8	60.6
2020	419	28.0	14.9	75.9
2021	449	26.7	16.8	49.7
2022	430	31.0	13.8	45.6
2023	382	28.8	13.2	58.6
2024	368	24.9	14.7	70.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Gladden Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$395 (3.6%)	$10,450 (96.4%)	$10,845
2020	$173 (1.7%)	$9,802 (98.3%)	$9,975
2021	$365 (3.8%)	$9,218 (96.2%)	$9,583
2022	$970 (8.1%)	$11,049 (91.9%)	$12,019

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gladden Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 623^rd of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 557^th of 898 Elementary schools	2.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gladden Elementary)	44.1	32.9	11.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Belton 124)	45.6	40.7	4.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gladden Elementary)	39	44.7	5.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Belton 124)	42.7	39.8	2.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gladden Elementary)	50.7	27.9	22.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Belton 124)	47.4	39	8.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.4	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gladden Elementary)	40.9	28.1	12.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Belton 124)	45.4	34.7	10.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	330	382	15.8%
African American	19	46	142.1%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	65	76	16.9%
Pacific Islander	3	1	66.7%
White	214	220	2.8%
Two or More Races	28	34	21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.6%	58.6%	2%

Schools Near Gladden Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)				MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Gladden Elementary	Public	K-4	405 Westover Rd	Belton	64012	Cass County	Belton 124	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 489-7530	368	25	14.7	70.9%	221 (60.1%)	36 (9.8%)	78 (21.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.9%)	45.3	506^th of 906 public elementary schools	44.2%		41	557^th of 898 public elementary schools	38.0%	51	22.5	47.6				40.4	48.3			$12,019	$970	$11,049
Wilckens STEAM Academy @Hillcrest	Public	K-6	106 S Hillcrest Rd	Belton	64012	Cass County	Belton 124	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 348-1130	482	30	15.8	46.9%	322 (66.8%)	31 (6.4%)	76 (15.8%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.8%)	62.3	323^rd of 906 public elementary schools	64.3%		68.2	268^th of 898 public elementary schools	70.2%	55	53.5	65.6	40.8	50.6	28.7	43.3		28.7	46.4	$11,272	$914	$10,358
Grace Early Child. Education Center	Public	PK	614 W Mill	Belton	64012	Cass County	Belton 124	No	No	No	No	(816) 348-1514	224	15	14.7	51.8%	146 (65.2%)	9 (4.0%)	47 (21.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.8%)								(n/a)
Cambridge Elementary	Public	K-4	109 W Cambridge	Belton	64012	Cass County	Belton 124	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 348-1008	439	27	16.2	65.1%	250 (56.9%)	68 (15.5%)	82 (18.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	36 (8.2%)	19.5	738^th of 906 public elementary schools	18.5%		29	670^th of 898 public elementary schools	25.4%	68	24.2	22.5				23.1	31.7			$12,027	$1,206	$10,821
Belvidere Elementary	Public	K-5	15200 White Ave	Grandview	64030	Jackson County	Grandview C-4	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 316-5300	297	21	14.4	75.8%	88 (29.6%)	125 (42.1%)	55 (18.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	26 (8.8%)	48.4	470^th of 906 public elementary schools	48.1%		44.4	517^th of 898 public elementary schools	42.4%	47	40.8	40.7	34.6		38.7	43.1	33.2	43.6		$13,706	$199	$13,507
Kentucky Trail Elementary	Public	K-4	8301 E 163rd St	Belton	64012	Cass County	Belton 124	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 348-1100	337	26	12.9	50.7%	210 (62.3%)	26 (7.7%)	51 (15.1%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	42 (12.5%)	55	395^th of 906 public elementary schools	56.4%		56.9	388^th of 898 public elementary schools	56.8%	7	39.6	54.9				41.7	40.0			$13,211	$1,423	$11,788
Creekmoor Elementary	Public	K-5	1501 Creekmoor Dr	Raymore	64083	Cass County	Raymore-Peculiar R-II	No	No	No	No	(816) 892-1675	385	30	12.7	19.0%	230 (59.7%)	36 (9.4%)	69 (17.9%)	18 (4.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.3%)	77.1	173^rd of 906 public elementary schools	80.9%		79.6	146^th of 898 public elementary schools	83.7%	27	47.5	51.6	60.5		59.0	53.2		51.5		$12,004	$807	$11,197
Butcher-Greene Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5302 E 140th	Grandview	64030	Jackson County	Grandview C-4	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 316-5400	272	23	12.0	78.7%	45 (16.5%)	119 (43.8%)	84 (30.9%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	19 (7.0%)	11	825^th of 906 public elementary schools	8.9%		16	767^th of 898 public elementary schools	14.6%	58	18.7	18.3	7.5		7.5	21.0	22.7			$15,904	$185	$15,719
Eagle Glen Elementary	Public	K-5	100 S Foxridge Dr	Raymore	64083	Cass County	Raymore-Peculiar R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 892-1750	422	32	13.2	28.4%	270 (64.0%)	75 (17.8%)	41 (9.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	49.7	456^th of 906 public elementary schools	49.7%		60.8	343^rd of 898 public elementary schools	61.8%	113	36.7	39.3	41.4		50.5	28.1	36.3	44.0		$11,915	$856	$11,059
Stonegate Elementary	Public	K-5	900 S Foxridge Dr	Raymore	64083	Cass County	Raymore-Peculiar R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 892-1900	327	27	12.2	32.1%	182 (55.7%)	81 (24.8%)	30 (9.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.8%)	32.5	636^th of 906 public elementary schools	29.8%		61.6	339^th of 898 public elementary schools	62.2%	297	31.4	50.8	24.7		23.0	22.1	49.0	15.1		$12,545	$844	$11,701

Gladden Elementary

Gladden Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Belton 124:

What do you think?

Rank History for Gladden Elementary

Rank History for all students at Gladden Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Gladden Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Gladden Elementary

Rank History for White students at Gladden Elementary

Enrollment information for Gladden Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Gladden Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Gladden Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Gladden Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Gladden Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Gladden Elementary