Blue Hills Elementary

Q: Is Blue Hills Elementary a good school?

Blue Hills Elementary ranks 588 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Blue Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Independence, Missouri, serving 352 students in grades K-4 and part of the Fort Osage R-I school district.

Blue Hills Elementary has shown inconsistent performance on state assessments, with some strong results, like 61.1% proficiency in 4th grade math, but also struggles, like 21.2% proficiency in 3rd grade ELA. Compared to district and state averages, the school generally performs below in both math and ELA. The school also faces high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.0% to 31.2%, significantly higher than the state average of around 15%. Additionally, Blue Hills Elementary serves a relatively high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 36.74% to 42.33% receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

When comparing Blue Hills Elementary to nearby schools in the same district, it appears to perform similarly or slightly below in terms of academic achievement and other key metrics, suggesting systemic challenges within the district. However, when comparing to schools in the neighboring Independence 30 district, Blue Hills Elementary generally performs below, particularly in math and ELA proficiency. Addressing the school's inconsistent performance, high chronic absenteeism, and socioeconomic challenges should be a priority for the school and district, with a focus on implementing evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps.

Detail:

Public K-4

25102 E. US 24 Highway
Independence, MO 64056-4001

(816) 650-7440

District: Fort Osage R-I

SchoolDigger Rank:
588^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,383

Students who attend Blue Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fire Prairie Middle
	Osage Trail Middle
High:	Fort Osage High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 352

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.9%

Hispanic:

13.6%

Two or more races:

10.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42.3%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Blue Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Blue Hills Elementary ranks worse than 64.9% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Fort Osage R-I School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.12. (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 Blue Hills Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Fort Osage R-I School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blue Hills Elementary is $11,383, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Fort Osage R-I School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Blue Hills Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Blue Hills Elementary 588^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Blue Hills Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Fort Osage R-I:

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Osage R-I 266^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Blue Hills Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Blue Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	40.85	707^th	1074	34.2%
2007	27.97	904^th	1080	16.3%
2008	37.77	785^th	1084	27.6%
2009	53.50	514^th	1053	51.2%
2010	56.31	460^th	1066	56.8%
2011	77.73	179^th	1088	83.5%
2012	52.41	568^th	1085	47.6%
2013	44.79	680^th	1108	38.6%
2014	65.14	334^th	1089	69.3%
2015	57.24	457^th	1058	56.8%
2016	61.78	342^nd	865	60.5%
2017	58.32	426^th	1032	58.7%
2018	33.26	736^th	1045	29.6%
2019	50.71	522^nd	1052	50.4%
2021	44.93	522^nd	901	42.1%
2022	44.93	507^th	908	44.2%
2023	68.04	270^th	898	69.9%
2024	37.12	588^th	906	35.1%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Blue Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	34.46	654^th	887	26.3%
2019	57.32	334^th	907	63.2%
2021	35.96	369^th	574	35.7%
2023	81.83	49^th	611	92.0%
2024	52.78	258^th	625	58.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Blue Hills Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	26.10	720^th	898	19.8%
2019	33.83	643^rd	917	29.9%
2021	40.76	415^th	691	39.9%
2022	37.12	451^st	675	33.2%
2023	52.88	310^th	673	53.9%
2024	28.94	497^th	668	25.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Blue Hills 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	561	561
1992	514	4	3	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	538
1993	558	16	4	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	594
1994	564	13	3	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	590
1995	535	4	5	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	554
1996	535	4	5	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	554
1997	559	5	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
1998	573	23	6	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	611
1999	561	31	9	11	6	n/a	n/a	0	618
2000	454	42	7	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
2001	427	38	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	481
2002	391	34	8	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	444
2003	391	34	8	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	444
2004	402	34	10	11	3	n/a	n/a	0	460
2005	389	40	16	20	4	n/a	n/a	0	469
2006	392	36	22	27	7	n/a	n/a	0	484
2007	405	39	17	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	494
2008	417	43	15	33	3	n/a	n/a	0	511
2009	346	21	16	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	415
2010	329	22	18	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	399
2011	310	23	5	19	2	6	1	0	366
2012	323	18	9	22	3	4	15	0	394
2013	328	14	6	20	3	7	17	0	395
2014	306	21	4	20	3	6	19	0	379
2015	299	9	6	27	3	13	22	0	379
2016	303	15	7	51	2	14	17	0	409
2017	295	17	6	37	1	12	19	0	387
2018	280	24	7	48	0	10	18	0	387
2019	284	29	4	48	3	3	5	0	376
2020	235	32	5	47	2	5	19	0	345
2021	238	27	2	48	2	10	35	0	362
2022	222	28	3	46	1	5	35	0	340
2023	232	23	1	48	2	8	38	0	352

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 Blue Hills Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	561	27.0	20.7	7.3
1992	538	27.5	19.5	8
1993	594	33.1	17.9	8.2
1994	590	32.9	17.9	14.4
1995	554	32.3	17.2	22.2
1996	554	32.3	17.2	22.2
1997	573	31.8	18.0	21.8
1998	611	33.5	18.2	24.2
1999	618	35.3	17.5	26.5
2000	515	32.4	15.9	31.3
2001	481	33.8	14.2	31.6
2002	444	30.9	14.4	39
2003	444	30.9	14.4	39
2004	460	29.4	15.6	39.6
2005	469	32.5	14.4	43.7
2006	484	34.0	14.2	45.7
2007	494	32.0	15.4	44.3
2008	511	34.3	14.9	41.9
2009	415	29.3	14.1	40
2010	399	28.6	13.9	44.9
2011	366	26.9	13.6	41.3
2012	394	25.9	15.1	44.7
2013	395	27.7	14.2	50.1
2014	379	26.2	14.4	49.3
2015	379	25.0	15.1	49.6
2016	409	27.0	15.1	41.8
2017	387	27.2	14.1	44.2
2018	387	26.2	14.7	44.2
2019	376	25.2	14.9	38.3
2020	345	24.2	14.2	43.5
2021	362	27.4	13.1	36.7
2022	340	25.1	13.4	37.9
2023	352	23.7	14.8	42.3

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 Blue Hills Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	561	27.0	20.7	7.3
1992	538	27.5	19.5	8
1993	594	33.1	17.9	8.2
1994	590	32.9	17.9	14.4
1995	554	32.3	17.2	22.2
1996	554	32.3	17.2	22.2
1997	573	31.8	18.0	21.8
1998	611	33.5	18.2	24.2
1999	618	35.3	17.5	26.5
2000	515	32.4	15.9	31.3
2001	481	33.8	14.2	31.6
2002	444	30.9	14.4	39
2003	444	30.9	14.4	39
2004	460	29.4	15.6	39.6
2005	469	32.5	14.4	43.7
2006	484	34.0	14.2	45.7
2007	494	32.0	15.4	44.3
2008	511	34.3	14.9	41.9
2009	415	29.3	14.1	40
2010	399	28.6	13.9	44.9
2011	366	26.9	13.6	41.3
2012	394	25.9	15.1	44.7
2013	395	27.7	14.2	50.1
2014	379	26.2	14.4	49.3
2015	379	25.0	15.1	49.6
2016	409	27.0	15.1	41.8
2017	387	27.2	14.1	44.2
2018	387	26.2	14.7	44.2
2019	376	25.2	14.9	38.3
2020	345	24.2	14.2	43.5
2021	362	27.4	13.1	36.7
2022	340	25.1	13.4	37.9
2023	352	23.7	14.8	42.3

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 Blue Hills Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,019 (10.2%)	$8,934 (89.8%)	$9,954
2020	$1,228 (11.9%)	$9,098 (88.1%)	$10,326
2021	$693 (7.0%)	$9,256 (93.0%)	$9,948
2022	$1,624 (14.3%)	$9,759 (85.7%)	$11,383

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Blue Hills 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 522^nd of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 270^th of 898 Elementary schools	19.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Blue Hills Elementary)	56.5	40	16.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Fort Osage R-I)	47.8	25.6	22.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Blue Hills Elementary)	39.7	44.3	4.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fort Osage R-I)	43.8	32.9	10.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Blue Hills Elementary)	47.4	61.1	13.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Fort Osage R-I)	47.7	45.3	2.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Blue Hills Elementary)	47.4	58.3	10.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Osage R-I)	49	46.1	2.9%
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	376	352	6.4%
African American	29	23	20.7%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	48	48
Pacific Islander	3	8	166.7%
White	284	232	18.3%
Two or More Races	5	38	660%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38.3%	42.3%	4%

Schools Near Blue Hills 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 Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Blue Hills Elementary	Public	K-4	25102 E. US 24 Highway	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Fort Osage R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 650-7440	352	24	14.8	42.3%	232 (65.9%)	23 (6.5%)	48 (13.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.3%)	38 (10.8%)	37.1	588^th of 906 public elementary schools	35.1%		68	270^th of 898 public elementary schools	69.9%	318	37.5	34.7			33.2	36.0		$11,383	$1,624	$9,759
Elm Grove Elementary	Public	K-4	25102 E. US 24 Highway	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Fort Osage R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 650-7400	325	28	11.6	68.6%	200 (61.5%)	35 (10.8%)	43 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	38 (11.7%)	11.4	818^th of 906 public elementary schools	9.7%		13	792^nd of 898 public elementary schools	11.8%	26	11.9	24.2			17.0	20.8		$14,049	$1,701	$12,348
Randall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	509 Jennings Rd	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5445	260	21	12.3	88.1%	109 (41.9%)	64 (24.6%)	40 (15.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.7%)	39 (15.0%)	16.8	762^nd of 906 public elementary schools	15.9%		13.6	785^th of 898 public elementary schools	12.6%	23	14.1	19.2	12.0		14.0	41.2		$14,433	$3,298	$11,136
Buckner Elementary	Public	K-4	25102 E. US 24 Highway	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Fort Osage R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 650-7300	334	27	12.2	44.6%	284 (85.0%)	12 (3.6%)	32 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	40.7	552^nd of 906 public elementary schools	39.1%		46.1	498^th of 898 public elementary schools	44.5%	54	27.4	46.0			33.2	40.7		$13,712	$1,478	$12,234
Indian Trails Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	25102 E. US 24 Highway	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Fort Osage R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 650-7645	355	25	14.0	52.1%	210 (59.2%)	57 (16.1%)	40 (11.3%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.5%)	35 (9.9%)	29.6	659^th of 906 public elementary schools	27.3%		39.8	570^th of 898 public elementary schools	36.5%	89	29.5	30.9			30.8	34.4		$11,842	$1,309	$10,533
Cler-Mont Elementary	Public	K-4	25102 E. US 24 Highway	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Fort Osage R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 650-7350	318	24	13.0	53.1%	196 (61.6%)	27 (8.5%)	55 (17.3%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	5 (1.6%)	31 (9.7%)	48.8	462^nd of 906 public elementary schools	49.0%		52.9	422^nd of 898 public elementary schools	53.0%	40	36.2	50.7			35.3	43.0		$12,129	$1,471	$10,658
Spring Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20404 E Truman Rd	Independence	64056	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5455	250	23	11.1	65.2%	142 (56.8%)	26 (10.4%)	42 (16.8%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (14.4%)	42.9	529^th of 906 public elementary schools	41.6%		43.2	533^rd of 898 public elementary schools	40.6%	4	30.0	23.4			47.5	42.8	41.0	$13,600	$4,250	$9,350
Little Blue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2020 Quail Drive	Independence	64057	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5480	295	22	13.4	53.2%	179 (60.7%)	40 (13.6%)	33 (11.2%)	7 (2.4%)	3 (1.0%)	5 (1.7%)	28 (9.5%)	41.3	549^th of 906 public elementary schools	39.4%		55.1	397^th of 898 public elementary schools	55.8%	152	41.8	28.5	18.7	28.0	46.5		44.1	$14,708	$4,029	$10,680
Mill Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2601 N Liberty St	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5420	290	16	17.8	70.3%	180 (62.1%)	30 (10.3%)	42 (14.5%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	6 (2.1%)	26 (9.0%)	70.8	246^th of 906 public elementary schools	72.8%		62.3	332^nd of 898 public elementary schools	63.0%	86	53.3	55.0	49.0	52.7	47.6	45.0	49.0	$13,228	$3,469	$9,758
Ott Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1525 N Noland Rd	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5435	398	25	15.9	77.1%	222 (55.8%)	50 (12.6%)	83 (20.9%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	9 (2.3%)	30 (7.5%)	46.2	495^th of 906 public elementary schools	45.4%		49.1	468^th of 898 public elementary schools	47.9%	27	26.1	35.4	45.4	40.8	29.6	39.2	48.4	$11,810	$2,567	$9,243

Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Hills Elementary

Is Blue Hills Elementary a good school?

Blue Hills Elementary ranks 588^th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Blue Hills Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 352 students attended Blue Hills Elementary.

What district is Blue Hills Elementary in?

Fort Osage R-I

What schools do graduates of Blue Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Blue Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fire Prairie Middle
Middle : Osage Trail Middle
High : Fort Osage High

What is the racial makeup of Blue Hills Elementary?

Students at Blue Hills Elementary are 66% White, 14% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 7% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.