Pathfinder Elementary

Q: Is Pathfinder Elementary a good school?

Pathfinder Elementary ranks 657 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Pathfinder Elementary is a public elementary school located in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 602 students. It is part of the Platte County R-III school district, which is ranked 86 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pathfinder Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the Platte County R-III district and the state of Missouri in both Math and English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency across grades 3-5. For example, in 2023-2024, only 12.3% of 3rd graders at Pathfinder Elementary were proficient or better in Math, compared to 41.2% in the district and 40.8% statewide. The school has also had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.4% to 24.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. However, Pathfinder has shown some strengths in the performance of its African American students, ranking highly (top 21 out of 191 schools) for their Math and ELA proficiency in recent years.

Comparing Pathfinder Elementary to nearby schools in the Park Hill and North Kansas City 74 districts, the surrounding schools generally outperform Pathfinder in academic proficiency, with higher percentages of students scoring proficient or better in Math and ELA. For instance, Hopewell Elementary, a Park Hill school, had 51% of 3rd graders proficient or better in Math, compared to Pathfinder's 12.3%. This suggests that Pathfinder may need to focus on addressing the needs of its economically disadvantaged students, who make up a larger percentage of the school's population, as well as finding ways to improve overall attendance and academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1951 NW 87th Terr
Kansas City, MO 64154-2608

(816) 436-6670

District: Platte County R-III

SchoolDigger Rank:
657^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,506

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 602

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.3%

African American:

20.1%

Hispanic:

12.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 32.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pathfinder Elementary ranks worse than 72.5% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Platte County R-III School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.87. (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 Pathfinder Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Platte County R-III School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pathfinder Elementary is $10,506, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Platte County R-III School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pathfinder Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pathfinder Elementary 657^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Pathfinder Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

White students:

Platte County R-III:

SchoolDigger ranks Platte County R-III 86^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Pathfinder Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pathfinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2017	72.62	250^th	1032	75.8%
2018	66.08	336^th	1045	67.8%
2019	74.11	219^th	1052	79.2%
2021	65.33	301^st	901	66.6%
2022	52.47	432^nd	908	52.4%
2023	52.08	433^rd	898	51.8%
2024	29.87	657^th	906	27.5%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pathfinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	49.42	446^th	887	49.7%
2019	30.23	718^th	907	20.8%
2023	53.95	239^th	611	60.9%
2024	23.61	525^th	625	16.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Pathfinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	79.40	27^th	243	88.9%
2019	70.81	48^th	250	80.8%
2021	76.38	15^th	163	90.8%
2024	76.98	21^st	191	89.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pathfinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	54.78	40^th	105	61.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Pathfinder Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	64.25	291^st	898	67.6%
2019	84.92	87^th	917	90.5%
2021	68.39	195^th	691	71.8%
2022	49.53	334^th	675	50.5%
2023	53.08	308^th	673	54.2%
2024	25.99	520^th	668	22.2%

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 Pathfinder Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	184	48	12	29	1	n/a	n/a	274
2010	201	62	12	38	2	n/a	n/a	315
2011	197	71	9	45	1	0	11	334
2012	205	57	20	36	0	1	16	335
2013	229	60	18	44	0	3	14	368
2014	240	59	19	48	0	3	21	390
2015	251	58	14	49	2	3	29	406
2016	268	57	13	39	2	4	34	417
2017	357	94	23	68	3	7	39	591
2018	357	113	17	60	3	6	42	598
2019	367	105	24	59	2	10	43	610
2020	381	115	24	69	2	6	54	651
2021	336	105	21	62	1	5	50	580
2022	336	126	18	65	1	6	54	606
2023	327	121	22	74	4	8	46	602

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 Pathfinder Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	274	21.9	12.5	27.7
2010	315	20.6	15.2	38.1
2011	334	20.0	16.6	34.7
2012	335	22.6	14.8	41.8
2013	368	22.9	16.0	42.4
2014	390	25.5	15.2	38.7
2015	406	29.0	14.0	39.2
2016	417	29.0	14.3	33.6
2017	591	42.5	13.9	31.5
2018	598	43.2	13.8	28.3
2019	610	41.2	14.8	31.1
2020	651	41.0	15.8	28.4
2021	580	41.5	13.9	25.5
2022	606	44.4	13.6	24.4
2023	602	43.4	13.8	32.4

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 Pathfinder Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	274	21.9	12.5	27.7
2010	315	20.6	15.2	38.1
2011	334	20.0	16.6	34.7
2012	335	22.6	14.8	41.8
2013	368	22.9	16.0	42.4
2014	390	25.5	15.2	38.7
2015	406	29.0	14.0	39.2
2016	417	29.0	14.3	33.6
2017	591	42.5	13.9	31.5
2018	598	43.2	13.8	28.3
2019	610	41.2	14.8	31.1
2020	651	41.0	15.8	28.4
2021	580	41.5	13.9	25.5
2022	606	44.4	13.6	24.4
2023	602	43.4	13.8	32.4

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 Pathfinder Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$177 (2.1%)	$8,202 (97.9%)	$8,380
2020	$84 (1.0%)	$8,186 (99.0%)	$8,270
2021	$184 (1.9%)	$9,448 (98.1%)	$9,632
2022	$364 (3.5%)	$10,142 (96.5%)	$10,506

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pathfinder 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 219^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 433^rd of 898 Elementary schools	27.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pathfinder Elementary)	60.3	35.8	24.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Platte County R-III)	63.7	49.9	13.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pathfinder Elementary)	64.6	42.9	21.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Platte County R-III)	64	51	13%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pathfinder Elementary)	52	36.1	15.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Platte County R-III)	55.1	47.2	7.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pathfinder Elementary)	57	54.1	2.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Platte County R-III)	62.8	59.2	3.6%
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	610	602	1.3%
African American	105	121	15.2%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	24	22	8.3%
Hispanic	59	74	25.4%
Pacific Islander	10	8	20%
White	367	327	10.9%
Two or More Races	43	46	7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.1%	32.4%	1.2%

Schools Near Pathfinder 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
Pathfinder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1951 NW 87th Terr	Kansas City	64154	Platte County	Platte County R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 436-6670	602	43	13.8	32.4%	327 (54.3%)	121 (20.1%)	74 (12.3%)	22 (3.7%)	4 (0.7%)	8 (1.3%)	46 (7.6%)	29.9	657^th of 906 public elementary schools	27.5%		52.1	433^rd of 898 public elementary schools	51.8%	224	12.3	32.8	18.6		34.2	45.9	30.1	$10,506	$364	$10,143
Barry School	Public	PK, KG-5	2001 NW 87th Terr	Kansas City	64154	Platte County	Platte County R-III	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(816) 436-9623	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	55.5	390^th of 906 public elementary schools	57.0%					(n/a)	31.6	40.2	39.7	48.6	34.1		48.6
Gashland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	500 NE 83rd St	Kansas City	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5100	230	15	15.5	40.0%	136 (59.1%)	21 (9.1%)	34 (14.8%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	33 (14.3%)								(n/a)								$13,364	$557	$12,807
Tiffany Ridge Elementary School	Public	K-5	5301 NW Old Tiffany Springs Rd	Kansas City	64154	Platte County	Park Hill	No	No	No	No	(816) 359-4400	471	36	13.0	28.2%	258 (54.8%)	77 (16.3%)	69 (14.6%)	22 (4.7%)	3 (0.6%)	14 (3.0%)	28 (5.9%)	44.4	514^th of 906 public elementary schools	43.3%		50.2	453^rd of 898 public elementary schools	49.6%	61	30.0	29.1	33.7	35.0	41.0	42.2	47.4	$13,434	$950	$12,484
Linden West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7333 N Wyandotte St	Gladstone	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 321-5130	447	34	13.0	60.4%	209 (46.8%)	100 (22.4%)	80 (17.9%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	45 (10.1%)	42.6	533^rd of 906 public elementary schools	41.2%		49.7	462^nd of 898 public elementary schools	48.6%	71	33.3	20.7	42.9	36.1	44.0	38.0		$14,218	$594	$13,624
Clardy Elementary	Public	K-5	8100 N Troost	Kansas City	64118	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5060	495	31	16.2	40.8%	286 (57.8%)	56 (11.3%)	77 (15.6%)	15 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.0%)	55 (11.1%)	62.6	321^st of 906 public elementary schools	64.6%		71.9	220^th of 898 public elementary schools	75.5%	101	35.6	43.2	46.8	50.7	44.5	54.0	50.7	$12,690	$580	$12,109
Thomas B. Chinn Elementary	Public	K-5	7100 NW Chatham Rd	Kansas City	64151	Platte County	Park Hill	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 359-4330	450	36	12.4	39.3%	247 (54.9%)	78 (17.3%)	50 (11.1%)	7 (1.6%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (5.1%)	43 (9.6%)	55.5	391^st of 906 public elementary schools	56.8%		52.8	423^rd of 898 public elementary schools	52.9%	32	35.3	40.0	42.7	49.9	37.4	40.4	55.6	$14,428	$588	$13,840
Fox Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	545 NE 106 St	Kansas City	64155	Clay County	North Kansas City 74	No	No	No	No	(816) 321-5090	587	36	16.3	38.8%	318 (54.2%)	96 (16.4%)	82 (14.0%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	80 (13.6%)	70.2	258^th of 906 public elementary schools	71.5%		86.5	89^th of 898 public elementary schools	90.1%	169	45.9	53.8	47.2	41.7	47.0	63.7	54.4	$13,437	$546	$12,892
Alfred L. Renner Elementary	Public	K-5	7401 NW Barry Rd	Kansas City	64153	Platte County	Park Hill	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 359-4350	427	33	13.1	35.8%	237 (55.5%)	56 (13.1%)	61 (14.3%)	15 (3.5%)	3 (0.7%)	22 (5.2%)	33 (7.7%)	43.5	524^th of 906 public elementary schools	42.2%		40.8	562^nd of 898 public elementary schools	37.4%	38	29.4	28.7	34.5	39.4	36.2	37.8	48.0	$14,074	$1,000	$13,075
Hopewell Elementary	Public	K-5	5801 NW Waukomis	Kansas City	64151	Platte County	Park Hill	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 359-4410	481	37	13.0	27.2%	298 (62.0%)	88 (18.3%)	57 (11.9%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (5.8%)	70.9	245^th of 906 public elementary schools	73.0%		66.9	286^th of 898 public elementary schools	68.2%	41	51.0	55.1	43.0	44.2	49.9	58.1	51.8	$12,263	$654	$11,610

Frequently Asked Questions about Pathfinder Elementary

What schools do graduates of Pathfinder Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pathfinder Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Platte County High

What district is Pathfinder Elementary in?

Platte County R-III

Is Pathfinder Elementary a good school?

Pathfinder Elementary ranks 657^th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pathfinder Elementary?

Students at Pathfinder Elementary are 54% White, 20% African American, 12% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Pathfinder Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 602 students attended Pathfinder Elementary.

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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.