Plaza Middle

Summary:

Plaza Middle is a public middle school located in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 715 students. It is part of the Park Hill School District, which is ranked 51 out of 376 districts in Missouri and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Plaza Middle has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 58.32% White, 18.6% African American, 11.05% Hispanic, 3.36% Asian, and smaller percentages of other racial groups.

Plaza Middle consistently performs well academically, ranking in the top 30% of Missouri middle schools in recent years. Its students have shown strong performance on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests, with several subject areas exceeding the state and district averages. For example, in 2022-2023, Plaza Middle's 7th-grade students outperformed the state and district averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts. Additionally, Plaza Middle's 8th-grade students excelled in Algebra I, with 84.3% proficient or better, significantly higher than the state (41.5%) and North Kansas City 74 district (72.7%) averages. The school has also demonstrated strong performance among specific student subgroups, particularly African American and Hispanic students.

Plaza Middle's commitment to investing in its educational resources is evident in its steady increase in per-student spending, from $11,650 in 2018-2019 to $13,365 in 2021-2022. When compared to other middle schools in the Park Hill School District, Plaza Middle generally outperforms its peers, particularly in Mathematics and Algebra I. This suggests that Plaza Middle may have effective teaching practices or curriculum that could be shared with other schools in the district to help raise overall academic achievement. Additionally, Plaza Middle serves a more economically diverse student population, with a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which may contribute to its strong academic performance.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 6501 NW 72nd St
       Kansas City, MO  64151-1675


(816) 359-4210

District: Park Hill

SchoolDigger Rank:
130th of 459 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,365 Help


Students who attend Plaza Middle usually attend:

High:    Park Hill High

Feeder schools for Plaza Middle:

Elementary:    Hopewell Elementary
    Thomas B. Chinn Elementary
    Tiffany Ridge Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.3 Help
Number of students:  715

Racial breakdown:

White:
58.3%
African American:
18.6%
Hispanic:
11.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  30.1% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Plaza Middle ranks better than 71.7% of middle schools in Missouri. It also ranks last among 4 ranked middle schools in the Park Hill School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 66.61. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (58.3%), African American (18.6%), Hispanic (11%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 30.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Plaza Middle is 13.3. 2 middle schools in the Park Hill School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Plaza Middle employs 53.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Plaza Middle is $13,365, which is the 2nd highest among 4 middle schools in the Park Hill School District.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Plaza Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Plaza Middle 130th of 459 Missouri public middle schools. (See Plaza Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:
White students:


Park Hill:

SchoolDigger ranks Park Hill 51st of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Plaza Middle

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Rank History for all students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 67.98 115th 454 74.7%
2022 73.18 96th 459 79.1%
2023 66.61 130th 459 71.7%
See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 63.88 12th 68 82.4%
2023 63.92 14th 68 79.4%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 46.31 95th 192 50.5%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 54.77 138th 371 62.8%
2022 62.87 100th 365 72.6%
2023 46.42 198th 382 48.2%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 48.51 82nd 195 57.9%
2022 53.24 77th 187 58.8%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 84.31 13th 135 90.4%
2022 89.14 7th 148 95.3%
2023 76.03 20th 153 86.9%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 75.60 6th 67 91.0%
2022 39.40 43rd 78 44.9%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Plaza Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 71.11 78th 376 79.3%
2022 79.49 53rd 381 86.1%
2023 73.58 72nd 385 81.3%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle 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.

Plaza Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Plaza Middle

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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 602 602
1992 833 36 10 13 0 n/a n/a 0 892
1993 890 35 19 14 1 n/a n/a 0 959
1994 823 32 18 21 2 n/a n/a 0 896
1995 844 50 14 27 3 n/a n/a 0 938
1996 844 50 14 27 3 n/a n/a 0 938
1997 876 56 13 29 4 n/a n/a 0 978
1998 911 72 15 27 4 n/a n/a 0 1029
1999 488 31 6 10 1 n/a n/a 0 536
2000 550 37 22 20 0 n/a n/a 0 629
2001 518 41 29 20 0 n/a n/a 0 608
2002 664 49 21 27 4 n/a n/a 0 765
2003 664 49 21 27 4 n/a n/a 0 765
2004 654 56 21 38 4 n/a n/a 0 773
2005 604 71 20 25 2 n/a n/a 0 722
2006 596 57 25 33 7 n/a n/a 0 718
2007 581 79 29 40 5 n/a n/a 0 734
2008 613 70 26 42 8 n/a n/a 0 759
2009 595 86 41 58 6 n/a n/a 0 786
2010 593 79 37 44 8 n/a n/a 0 761
2011 562 80 34 59 6 6 33 0 780
2012 552 83 29 68 3 10 30 0 775
2013 574 91 19 76 4 12 31 0 807
2014 582 90 27 76 1 6 35 0 817
2015 613 81 24 80 2 8 38 0 846
2016 557 88 28 90 5 12 37 0 817
2017 562 87 27 84 3 13 31 0 807
2018 603 92 25 90 6 7 49 0 872
2019 607 121 31 97 2 6 50 0 914
2020 399 127 35 92 3 6 46 0 708
2021 384 137 31 86 3 5 43 0 689
2022 394 134 25 77 1 9 41 0 681
2023 417 133 24 79 3 15 44 0 715

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 Plaza Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 602 53.5 11.2 n/a
1992 892 56.8 15.7 12.3
1993 959 58.1 16.5 12
1994 896 55.9 16.0 14
1995 938 61.1 15.4 16.4
1996 938 61.1 15.4 16.4
1997 978 64.0 15.3 9.4
1998 1029 65.4 15.7 9.4
1999 536 41.1 13.0 14.4
2000 629 44.3 14.2 15.1
2001 608 43.5 14.0 17.4
2002 765 52.4 14.6 16.5
2003 765 52.4 14.6 16.5
2004 773 48.8 15.8 16.3
2005 722 47.8 15.1 17.6
2006 718 47.1 15.2 19.5
2007 734 46.0 16.0 22.3
2008 759 49.3 15.4 21.1
2009 786 48.3 16.3 24.9
2010 761 49.1 15.4 25.5
2011 780 50.5 15.4 25.6
2012 775 50.1 15.4 28.6
2013 807 50.8 15.8 30.4
2014 817 52.1 15.6 25.9
2015 846 51.0 16.5 29.6
2016 817 52.0 15.7 30.2
2017 807 52.6 15.3 25.8
2018 872 55.9 15.5 26.3
2019 914 57.4 15.9 31.9
2020 708 51.1 13.8 34.2
2021 689 51.0 13.5 31.2
2022 681 49.6 13.7 24.1
2023 715 53.5 13.3 30.1

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 Plaza Middle

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 602 53.5 11.2 n/a
1992 892 56.8 15.7 12.3
1993 959 58.1 16.5 12
1994 896 55.9 16.0 14
1995 938 61.1 15.4 16.4
1996 938 61.1 15.4 16.4
1997 978 64.0 15.3 9.4
1998 1029 65.4 15.7 9.4
1999 536 41.1 13.0 14.4
2000 629 44.3 14.2 15.1
2001 608 43.5 14.0 17.4
2002 765 52.4 14.6 16.5
2003 765 52.4 14.6 16.5
2004 773 48.8 15.8 16.3
2005 722 47.8 15.1 17.6
2006 718 47.1 15.2 19.5
2007 734 46.0 16.0 22.3
2008 759 49.3 15.4 21.1
2009 786 48.3 16.3 24.9
2010 761 49.1 15.4 25.5
2011 780 50.5 15.4 25.6
2012 775 50.1 15.4 28.6
2013 807 50.8 15.8 30.4
2014 817 52.1 15.6 25.9
2015 846 51.0 16.5 29.6
2016 817 52.0 15.7 30.2
2017 807 52.6 15.3 25.8
2018 872 55.9 15.5 26.3
2019 914 57.4 15.9 31.9
2020 708 51.1 13.8 34.2
2021 689 51.0 13.5 31.2
2022 681 49.6 13.7 24.1
2023 715 53.5 13.3 30.1

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 Plaza Middle

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $195 (1.7%) $11,455 (98.3%) $11,650
2020 $140 (1.2%) $11,667 (98.8%) $11,807
2021 $230 (1.8%) $12,486 (98.2%) $12,716
2022 $543 (4.1%) $12,822 (95.9%) $13,365

Data source: Missouri Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Plaza Middle

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.

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Plaza Middle)44.344.8
 0.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Park Hill)43.950.6
 6.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)42.543.7
 1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Plaza Middle)52.335.8
 16.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Park Hill)5245.4
 6.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)45.937.5
 8.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students914715
 21.8%
African American121133
 9.9%
American Indian23
 50%
Asian3124
 22.6%
Hispanic9779
 18.6%
Pacific Islander615
 150%
White607417
 31.3%
Two or More Races5044
 12%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients31.9%30.1%
 1.9%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Plaza Middle

Students at Plaza Middle are 58% White, 19% African American, 11% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

Students who attend Plaza Middle usually go on to attend Park Hill High

Plaza Middle ranks 130th of 459 Missouri middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 715 students attended Plaza Middle.


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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.





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