Is Kearney High a good school?

Yes! Kearney High is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 17 th of 378 Missouri high schools.

How many students attend Kearney High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 804 students attended Kearney High.

What is the racial makeup of Kearney High?

Students at Kearney High are 92% White, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Kearney High?

Kearney High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Dogwood Elementary Elementary : Hawthorne Elementary Elementary : Kearney Elementary Elementary : Southview Elementary Middle : Kearney Middle

Kearney High

Summary:

Kearney High is a public high school serving grades 10-12 in Kearney, Missouri, with a total enrollment of 824 students. The school is part of the Kearney R-I School District, which is ranked 44 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kearney High consistently ranks among the top high schools in Missouri, with a statewide ranking between 3rd and 18th over the past several years. The school's students perform exceptionally well on state assessments, with proficiency rates significantly higher than the state averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Kearney High's proficiency rates were 69.4% in English II, 52% in Government, and 53.4% in Biology I, compared to the state averages of 51.3%, 39.7%, and 37.4%, respectively. The school also maintains an impressive four-year graduation rate, consistently above 96% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average. However, Kearney High's chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 16.4% to 21.5% in recent years, is higher than the state's average.

When comparing Kearney High to nearby schools, it stands out as an exceptional high school, consistently outperforming its counterparts in academic achievement, graduation rates, and student subgroup performance. For instance, while Staley High and Liberty High are larger schools that perform well, their academic performance is generally lower than Kearney High across multiple subject areas. Similarly, Lawson High and Excelsior Springs High lag behind Kearney High in various academic measures, despite their strong performance within their respective districts.

Detail:

Public 10-12

715 E 19th St
Kearney, MO 64060-8453

(816) 628-4585

District: Kearney R-I

SchoolDigger Rank:
17^th of 378 Missouri High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,500

Feeder schools for Kearney High:

Elementary:	Dogwood Elementary
	Hawthorne Elementary
	Kearney Elementary
	Southview Elementary
Middle:	Kearney Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 13.9

Number of students: 804

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.9%

Hispanic:

3.6%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 12.8%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare Kearney High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kearney High ranks better than 95.5% of high schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 85.27. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Kearney High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 (91.9%), Hispanic (3.6%), two or more races (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 12.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kearney High is 13.9. (See more...)

Compare Kearney High employs 57.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kearney High is $11,500.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kearney High:

SchoolDigger ranks Kearney High 17^th of 378 Missouri public high schools. (See Kearney High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

White students:

Kearney R-I:

SchoolDigger ranks Kearney R-I 44^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Kearney High?

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Rank History for Kearney High

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Rank History for all students at Kearney High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	74.02	83^rd	534	84.5%
2007	89.24	18^th	538	96.7%
2008	90.12	22^nd	539	95.9%
2009	26.73	414^th	507	18.3%
2010	58.26	174^th	516	66.3%
2011	59.19	175^th	528	66.9%
2012	48.63	280^th	522	46.4%
2013	51.88	228^th	523	56.4%
2014	70.05	71^st	521	86.4%
2015	69.59	84^th	504	83.3%
2016	71.87	71^st	401	82.3%
2017	85.71	31^st	404	92.3%
2018	69.70	74^th	468	84.2%
2019	93.90	1^st	460	99.8%
2021	84.24	16^th	358	95.5%
2022	86.49	18^th	361	95.0%
2023	91.30	3^rd	352	99.1%
2024	85.27	17^th	378	95.5%

See the entire list of Missouri High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Kearney High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	53.75	54^th	135	60.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kearney High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	68.01	54^th	382	85.9%
2019	94.85	3^rd	368	99.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Kearney High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	66.22	34^th	129	73.6%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Kearney High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	53.07	60^th	100	40.0%
2019	72.39	15^th	96	84.4%
2021	38.51	42^nd	50	16.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for White students at Kearney High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	65.16	88^th	440	80.0%
2019	91.55	8^th	430	98.1%
2021	80.46	22^nd	309	92.9%
2022	79.54	23^rd	310	92.6%
2023	88.12	11^th	302	96.4%
2024	76.65	30^th	321	90.7%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High 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 Kearney High

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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	478	478
1992	446	1	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	453
1993	494	1	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	499
1994	515	2	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	521
1995	789	3	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	794
1996	789	3	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	794
1997	822	3	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	827
1998	828	1	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	839
1999	837	4	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	854
2000	849	5	4	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	869
2001	907	3	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	929
2002	953	2	4	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	967
2003	953	2	4	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	967
2004	978	1	1	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	990
2005	1024	1	3	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	1036
2006	1081	4	6	11	6	n/a	n/a	0	1108
2007	851	4	5	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	874
2008	863	8	2	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	887
2009	814	9	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	831
2010	858	7	1	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	879
2011	862	7	0	10	5	0	0	0	884
2012	884	8	5	15	4	0	0	0	916
2013	865	11	7	19	2	1	1	0	906
2014	815	11	15	20	3	3	4	0	871
2015	845	12	10	27	3	3	1	0	901
2016	819	9	13	26	3	3	3	0	876
2017	840	13	13	22	2	3	6	0	899
2018	819	13	5	16	2	2	17	0	874
2019	826	13	8	20	2	0	21	0	890
2020	814	9	3	27	1	0	17	0	871
2021	774	10	3	31	1	0	19	0	838
2022	773	7	3	27	1	0	21	0	832
2023	756	5	4	30	1	0	28	0	824
2024	739	5	5	29	2	0	24	0	804

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 Kearney High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	478	29.7	16.0	n/a
1992	453	29.7	15.2	1.5
1993	499	29.4	17.0	28.5
1994	521	29.7	17.5	4.2
1995	794	41.5	19.1	1.8
1996	794	41.5	19.1	1.8
1997	827	43.3	19.1	1.6
1998	839	45.0	18.6	1.4
1999	854	46.5	18.4	2.3
2000	869	48.1	18.1	1.5
2001	929	48.9	19.0	1.9
2002	967	53.4	18.1	3.5
2003	967	53.4	18.1	3.5
2004	990	53.4	18.5	4.4
2005	1036	54.2	19.1	4.3
2006	1108	59.7	18.6	6.1
2007	874	58.7	14.9	6.1
2008	887	51.4	17.3	5.3
2009	831	50.8	16.3	7.5
2010	879	49.3	17.8	10.4
2011	884	47.5	18.5	10.4
2012	916	47.2	19.3	10.9
2013	906	48.0	18.8	11
2014	871	51.7	16.8	13.7
2015	901	52.0	17.3	12.1
2016	876	52.0	16.8	10.3
2017	899	52.5	17.1	11.7
2018	874	52.0	16.7	13.6
2019	890	51.4	17.2	13.7
2020	871	52.1	16.7	9.4
2021	838	52.1	16.0	11.1
2022	832	51.4	16.1	10.6
2023	824	56.7	14.5	13.1
2024	804	57.7	13.9	12.8

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 Kearney High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	478	29.7	16.0	n/a
1992	453	29.7	15.2	1.5
1993	499	29.4	17.0	28.5
1994	521	29.7	17.5	4.2
1995	794	41.5	19.1	1.8
1996	794	41.5	19.1	1.8
1997	827	43.3	19.1	1.6
1998	839	45.0	18.6	1.4
1999	854	46.5	18.4	2.3
2000	869	48.1	18.1	1.5
2001	929	48.9	19.0	1.9
2002	967	53.4	18.1	3.5
2003	967	53.4	18.1	3.5
2004	990	53.4	18.5	4.4
2005	1036	54.2	19.1	4.3
2006	1108	59.7	18.6	6.1
2007	874	58.7	14.9	6.1
2008	887	51.4	17.3	5.3
2009	831	50.8	16.3	7.5
2010	879	49.3	17.8	10.4
2011	884	47.5	18.5	10.4
2012	916	47.2	19.3	10.9
2013	906	48.0	18.8	11
2014	871	51.7	16.8	13.7
2015	901	52.0	17.3	12.1
2016	876	52.0	16.8	10.3
2017	899	52.5	17.1	11.7
2018	874	52.0	16.7	13.6
2019	890	51.4	17.2	13.7
2020	871	52.1	16.7	9.4
2021	838	52.1	16.0	11.1
2022	832	51.4	16.1	10.6
2023	824	56.7	14.5	13.1
2024	804	57.7	13.9	12.8

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 Kearney High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$238 (2.5%)	$9,403 (97.5%)	$9,641
2020	$435 (4.2%)	$10,009 (95.8%)	$10,444
2021	$413 (3.7%)	$10,645 (96.3%)	$11,058
2022	$178 (1.5%)	$11,322 (98.5%)	$11,500

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kearney High

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 1^st of 460 High schools	Ranks 3^rd of 352 High schools	0.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology I (Kearney High)	61.8	58.3	3.5%
End of Course Biology I (Kearney R-I)	61.8	58.3	3.5%
End of Course Biology I (Missouri)	39.2	38.5	0.7%
End of Course English II (Kearney High)	79.5	74.6	4.9%
End of Course English II (Kearney R-I)	79.5	74.6	4.9%
End of Course English II (Missouri)	59	54.4	4.6%
End of Course Algebra II (Kearney High)	84.2	64.9	19.3%
End of Course Algebra II (Kearney R-I)	84.2	64.9	19.3%
End of Course Algebra II (Missouri)	50	48.6	1.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	890	824	7.4%
African American	13	5	61.5%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	8	4	50%
Hispanic	20	30	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	826	756	8.5%
Two or More Races	21	28	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	13.7%	13.1%	0.6%

Schools Near Kearney High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Algebra I (2024)	MAP Biology I (2024)	MAP English II (2024)	MAP Algebra II (2024)	MAP English I (2024)	MAP Government (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 Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP English I End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kearney High	Public	10-12	715 E 19th St	Kearney	64060	Clay County	Kearney R-I	No	No	No	No	(816) 628-4585	804	58	13.9	12.8%	739 (91.9%)	5 (0.6%)	29 (3.6%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.0%)	85.3	17^th of 378 public high schools	95.5%		91.3	3^rd of 352 public high schools	99.1%	14		53.4	69.4			52.0	$11,500	$178	$11,322
Excelsior Springs High	Public	9-12	612 Tiger Dr	Excelsior Springs	64024	Clay County	Excelsior Springs 40	No	No	No	No	(816) 630-9210	744	47	15.7	37.1%	643 (86.4%)	12 (1.6%)	43 (5.8%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.1%)	47.3	164^th of 378 public high schools	56.6%		45.7	164^th of 352 public high schools	53.4%		23.6	26.9	56.0		63.0		$12,895	$327	$12,568
Excelsior Springs Career Center	Public	11-12	614 Tiger Dr	Excelsior Springs	64024	Clay County	Excelsior Springs 40	No	No	No	No	(816) 630-9240	0	11	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Watkins Mill Park Camp	Public	6-12	25610 Park Rd North	Lawson	64062	Ray County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(816) 781-8786	39	8	4.8	92.3%	28 (71.8%)	7 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.3%)								(n/a)
Liberty North High School	Public	9-12	1000 N.E. 104th Street	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5500	2,330	129	18.1	17.9%	1,802 (77.3%)	148 (6.4%)	179 (7.7%)	61 (2.6%)	3 (0.1%)	8 (0.3%)	129 (5.5%)	63	85^th of 378 public high schools	77.5%		52.7	120^th of 352 public high schools	65.9%	35	29.2	39.5	63.8	57.5		44.7	$11,153	$382	$10,771
Excelsior Springs Technical High	Public	10-12	701 St Louis Ave	Excelsior Springs	64024	Clay County	Excelsior Springs 40	No	No	No	No	(816) 630-5501	104	9	11.5	96.2%	52 (50.0%)	41 (39.4%)	8 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	2.6	378^th of 378 public high schools	0.0%					(n/a)		2.7	2.7			5.3	$4,231	$133	$4,097
Juvenile Justice Center	Public	6-12	8 Victory Lane	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5300	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Liberty High	Public	9-12	200 Bluejay Dr	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5340	1,908	124	15.4	20.9%	1,431 (75.0%)	111 (5.8%)	176 (9.2%)	66 (3.5%)	3 (0.2%)	7 (0.4%)	114 (6.0%)	67.3	69^th of 378 public high schools	81.7%		74.9	33^rd of 352 public high schools	90.6%	36	27.3	48.8	60.4	52.6	10.7	53.8	$12,188	$377	$11,811
Liberty Academy	Public	9-12	1115 Blackberry Drive	Liberty	64068	Clay County	Liberty 53	No	No	No	No	(816) 736-5470	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	4.7	371^st of 378 public high schools	1.9%		8.3	329^th of 352 public high schools	6.5%	42	2.0	2.8	4.5			8.9
Lawson High	Public	9-12	600 Bob Gill Dr	Lawson	64062	Ray County	Lawson R-XIV	No	No	No	No	(816) 580-7270	369	25	15.0	28.7%	354 (95.9%)	5 (1.4%)	7 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	52.9						$11,509	$1,086	$10,423

Kearney High

Kearney High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Kearney R-I:

What do you think?

Rank History for Kearney High

Rank History for all students at Kearney High

Rank History for Special Education students at Kearney High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kearney High

Rank History for Disabled students at Kearney High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Kearney High

Rank History for White students at Kearney High

Enrollment information for Kearney High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kearney High

Student/Teacher Ratio Kearney High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kearney High

Impact of COVID-19 on Kearney High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Kearney High

Kearney High

Excelsior Springs High

Excelsior Springs Career Center

Watkins Mill Park Camp

Liberty North High School

Excelsior Springs Technical High

Juvenile Justice Center

Liberty High

Liberty Academy

Lawson High

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