Is John W. Luff Elementary a good school?

John W. Luff Elementary ranks 332 nd of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend John W. Luff Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 354 students attended John W. Luff Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of John W. Luff Elementary?

Students at John W. Luff Elementary are 46% White, 23% Hispanic, 16% African American, 13% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of John W. Luff Elementary attend?

Students who attend John W. Luff Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Bridger Middle Middle : Pioneer Ridge Middle High : Truman High

John W. Luff Elementary

Summary:

John W. Luff Elementary is a public elementary school in Independence, Missouri, serving 354 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Independence 30 School District, which is ranked 236 out of 386 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John W. Luff Elementary consistently ranks in the top half of Missouri elementary schools, with a high ranking of 112 out of 1,052 schools in 2018-2019. The school's performance on state assessments is generally higher than the district and state averages, particularly in Mathematics and Science. For example, in 2023-2024, 54.5% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 35.7% for the district and 40.8% for the state. The school also has a strong performance for specific student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, often ranking in the top 50 or 100 schools in the state for these subgroups. However, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.8% to 33.9% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools in the Independence 30 School District, such as Sycamore Hills Elementary and Santa Fe Trail Elementary, John W. Luff Elementary generally outperforms them on academic measures. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rates are similar to or higher than the nearby schools, suggesting this may be a district-wide challenge. The school's relatively high spending per student and lower student-teacher ratio may contribute to its academic success, though the challenge of chronic absenteeism remains an area for improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3700 S Delaware Ave
Independence, MO 64055-3140

(816) 521-5415

District: Independence 30

SchoolDigger Rank:
332^nd of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,684

Students who attend John W. Luff Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bridger Middle
	Pioneer Ridge Middle
High:	Truman High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 354

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.8%

Hispanic:

23.4%

African American:

15.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.4%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare John W. Luff Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John W. Luff Elementary ranks better than 63.4% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 2^nd among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.41. (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 John W. Luff Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Independence 30 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John W. Luff Elementary is $12,684, which is the 10^th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John W. Luff Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks John W. Luff Elementary 332^nd of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See John W. Luff Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Independence 30:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence 30 236^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for John W. Luff Elementary

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Rank History for all students at John W. Luff Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	58.58	407^th	1074	62.1%
2007	56.66	443^rd	1080	59.0%
2008	50.56	554^th	1084	48.9%
2009	49.61	574^th	1053	45.5%
2010	53.48	518^th	1066	51.4%
2011	60.53	445^th	1088	59.1%
2012	62.71	407^th	1085	62.5%
2013	53.09	543^rd	1108	51.0%
2014	76.18	199^th	1089	81.7%
2015	67.61	315^th	1058	70.2%
2016	68.15	271^st	865	68.7%
2017	72.79	247^th	1032	76.1%
2018	77.07	190^th	1045	81.8%
2019	83.87	112^th	1052	89.4%
2021	77.61	169^th	901	81.2%
2022	70.28	237^th	908	73.9%
2023	60.68	346^th	898	61.5%
2024	61.41	332^nd	906	63.4%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John W. Luff Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	84.79	58^th	887	93.5%
2019	93.57	19^th	907	97.9%
2021	84.88	48^th	574	91.6%
2023	73.94	87^th	611	85.8%
2024	69.96	119^th	625	81.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at John W. Luff Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	58.35	33^rd	105	68.6%
2019	83.31	5^th	120	95.8%

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

Rank History for White students at John W. Luff Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	84.80	95^th	898	89.4%
2019	86.92	68^th	917	92.6%
2021	88.90	59^th	691	91.5%
2022	91.82	36^th	675	94.7%
2024	65.82	209^th	668	68.7%

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 John W. Luff 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	405	405
1992	354	3	6	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	372
1993	378	4	12	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	408
1994	361	3	9	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	385
1995	392	7	3	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	412
1996	392	7	3	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	412
1997	400	4	4	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	416
1998	411	5	4	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	430
1999	385	7	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	400
2000	401	9	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	424
2001	304	12	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	324
2002	283	19	7	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
2003	283	19	7	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
2004	280	20	7	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
2005	261	21	8	30	2	n/a	n/a	0	322
2006	236	21	15	44	3	n/a	n/a	0	319
2007	246	33	15	47	2	n/a	n/a	0	343
2008	290	39	11	45	2	n/a	n/a	0	387
2009	277	51	13	56	2	n/a	n/a	0	399
2010	303	62	14	67	2	n/a	n/a	0	448
2011	291	61	8	82	2	1	11	0	456
2012	314	50	8	78	0	1	19	0	470
2013	272	38	7	67	0	1	27	0	412
2014	279	37	7	67	2	1	33	0	426
2015	273	30	4	69	2	2	41	0	421
2016	257	35	4	82	3	2	32	0	415
2017	239	42	3	74	3	3	32	0	396
2018	232	39	2	79	3	4	55	0	414
2019	228	32	1	78	1	3	42	0	385
2020	223	49	1	90	1	6	39	0	409
2021	196	42	0	77	1	7	36	0	359
2022	160	50	1	73	0	6	38	0	328
2023	162	55	1	83	0	6	47	0	354

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 John W. Luff Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	405	21.3	19.0	n/a
1992	372	21.2	17.5	8.6
1993	408	20.4	20.0	16.2
1994	385	21.5	17.9	19.7
1995	412	25.6	16.1	20.9
1996	412	25.6	16.1	20.9
1997	416	24.0	17.3	21.2
1998	430	23.7	18.1	13
1999	400	24.1	16.6	0
2000	424	25.4	16.7	23.8
2001	324	21.3	15.2	27.8
2002	325	19.8	16.4	37.5
2003	325	19.8	16.4	37.5
2004	332	17.4	19.1	35.2
2005	322	19.2	16.8	46
2006	319	19.9	16.0	47.3
2007	343	18.8	18.2	47.5
2008	387	24.6	15.7	45.2
2009	399	25.3	15.7	53.4
2010	448	26.7	16.7	59.6
2011	456	23.2	19.6	58.1
2012	470	25.3	18.5	58.9
2013	412	24.4	16.8	59.2
2014	426	23.0	18.5	64.3
2015	421	23.0	18.3	60.6
2016	415	26.0	15.9	61.7
2017	396	24.0	16.5	59.6
2018	414	24.0	17.2	70
2019	385	24.0	16.0	60.5
2020	409	26.5	15.4	67
2021	359	25.0	14.3	62.7
2022	328	24.6	13.3	54.9
2023	354	23.2	15.2	64.4

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 John W. Luff Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	405	21.3	19.0	n/a
1992	372	21.2	17.5	8.6
1993	408	20.4	20.0	16.2
1994	385	21.5	17.9	19.7
1995	412	25.6	16.1	20.9
1996	412	25.6	16.1	20.9
1997	416	24.0	17.3	21.2
1998	430	23.7	18.1	13
1999	400	24.1	16.6	0
2000	424	25.4	16.7	23.8
2001	324	21.3	15.2	27.8
2002	325	19.8	16.4	37.5
2003	325	19.8	16.4	37.5
2004	332	17.4	19.1	35.2
2005	322	19.2	16.8	46
2006	319	19.9	16.0	47.3
2007	343	18.8	18.2	47.5
2008	387	24.6	15.7	45.2
2009	399	25.3	15.7	53.4
2010	448	26.7	16.7	59.6
2011	456	23.2	19.6	58.1
2012	470	25.3	18.5	58.9
2013	412	24.4	16.8	59.2
2014	426	23.0	18.5	64.3
2015	421	23.0	18.3	60.6
2016	415	26.0	15.9	61.7
2017	396	24.0	16.5	59.6
2018	414	24.0	17.2	70
2019	385	24.0	16.0	60.5
2020	409	26.5	15.4	67
2021	359	25.0	14.3	62.7
2022	328	24.6	13.3	54.9
2023	354	23.2	15.2	64.4

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 John W. Luff Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,636 (14.7%)	$9,486 (85.3%)	$11,122
2020	$1,376 (13.4%)	$8,904 (86.6%)	$10,281
2021	$1,411 (13.4%)	$9,128 (86.6%)	$10,539
2022	$2,115 (16.7%)	$10,569 (83.3%)	$12,684

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John W. Luff 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 112^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 346^th of 898 Elementary schools	27.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (John W. Luff Elementary)	68.7	51.7	17%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	38.5	28.3	10.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (John W. Luff Elementary)	62.7	48.4	14.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	44	36.4	7.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (John W. Luff Elementary)	62.5	38.2	24.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	43.3	30.1	13.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (John W. Luff Elementary)	60.8	37	23.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	37.2	35.6	1.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (John W. Luff Elementary)	58.9	47.8	11.1%
5th Grade Science (Independence 30)	42.4	38.1	4.3%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (John W. Luff Elementary)	60.7	59.2	1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	46.6	40.7	5.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	385	354	8.1%
African American	32	55	71.9%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	78	83	6.4%
Pacific Islander	3	6	100%
White	228	162	28.9%
Two or More Races	42	47	11.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.5%	64.4%	3.9%

Schools Near John W. Luff 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
John W. Luff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 S Delaware Ave	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5415	354	23	15.2	64.4%	162 (45.8%)	55 (15.5%)	83 (23.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	47 (13.3%)	61.4	332^nd of 906 public elementary schools	63.4%		60.7	346^th of 898 public elementary schools	61.5%	14	54.5	33.8			52.0	43.6	49.9	45.8		$12,684	$2,115	$10,569
Three Trails Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11801 E 32nd St S	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5470	317	21	14.8	74.8%	138 (43.5%)	35 (11.0%)	115 (36.3%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.9%)	39	569^th of 906 public elementary schools	37.2%		45.2	507^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.5%	62	46.2	17.1	32.8		30.3	44.2	18.7	35.6		$12,034	$2,466	$9,568
William Southern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 S Phelps Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5475	430	23	18.8	72.8%	179 (41.6%)	130 (30.2%)	67 (15.6%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (1.9%)	39 (9.1%)	51.5	438^th of 906 public elementary schools	51.7%		45.2	506^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.7%	68	44.0	35.0	38.7		55.1	30.8	45.0	40.2		$13,108	$3,715	$9,393
Sycamore Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15208 E 39th St S	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5465	543	31	17.5	55.4%	306 (56.4%)	36 (6.6%)	138 (25.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.3%)	50 (9.2%)	52.1	431^st of 906 public elementary schools	52.4%		60.2	354^th of 898 public elementary schools	60.6%	77	42.0	30.6	42.4		48.7	39.3	32.5	51.6		$11,058	$2,128	$8,929
Santa Fe Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1301 S Windsor St	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5450	386	23	16.7	76.4%	224 (58.0%)	47 (12.2%)	76 (19.7%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	32 (8.3%)	45.6	502^nd of 906 public elementary schools	44.6%		28.2	680^th of 898 public elementary schools	24.3%	178	38.6	45.5			41.8	37.4	36.9	30.9		$12,723	$2,310	$10,413
Cassell Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10401 East 31st Street South	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5540	375	29	12.7	80.0%	125 (33.3%)	49 (13.1%)	155 (41.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	40 (10.7%)	15.7	773^rd of 906 public elementary schools	14.7%		12.6	800^th of 898 public elementary schools	10.9%	27	18.5	17.0	11.2		11.2	23.8	36.6	13.5		$12,242	$2,567	$9,675
Pitcher Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	9915 E 38th Terr	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-1855	283	26	10.6	98.9%	41 (14.5%)	150 (53.0%)	71 (25.1%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	11 (3.9%)	8.7	845^th of 906 public elementary schools	6.7%		16.5	763^rd of 898 public elementary schools	15.0%	82	11.2		9.4	22.0	6.7		3.6	9.5	16.7	$19,399	$3,312	$16,087
Procter Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1403 W Linden Ave	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5440	208	15	14.1	81.7%	74 (35.6%)	33 (15.9%)	64 (30.8%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	32 (15.4%)	20.3	731^st of 906 public elementary schools	19.3%		23.6	713^th of 898 public elementary schools	20.6%	18	28.1	25.8	21.5		18.0	27.9		17.9		$13,578	$2,860	$10,718
Korte Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2437 S Hardy Ave	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5430	447	25	17.8	84.6%	174 (38.9%)	53 (11.9%)	174 (38.9%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	40 (8.9%)	34.3	617^th of 906 public elementary schools	31.9%		32.6	633^rd of 898 public elementary schools	29.5%	16	46.4	35.3	19.6		26.5	28.7	33.7	34.2		$12,929	$3,327	$9,602
Fleetridge Elementary	Public	K-5	13001 E 55th St	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-7220	315	24	12.9	64.8%	84 (26.7%)	123 (39.0%)	61 (19.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (14.0%)	26	689^th of 906 public elementary schools	24.0%		27.9	685^th of 898 public elementary schools	23.7%	4	22.3	21.0	23.6		41.1	30.2		23.5		$15,003	$2,179	$12,823

John W. Luff Elementary

John W. Luff Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Independence 30:

What do you think?

Rank History for John W. Luff Elementary

Rank History for all students at John W. Luff Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John W. Luff Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at John W. Luff Elementary

Rank History for White students at John W. Luff Elementary

Enrollment information for John W. Luff Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John W. Luff Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio John W. Luff Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for John W. Luff Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on John W. Luff Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near John W. Luff Elementary