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Thomas J. Ultican Elementary

Q: Is Thomas J. Ultican Elementary a good school?

Thomas J. Ultican Elementary ranks 430 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

430^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Thomas J. Ultican Elementary is a public elementary school in Blue Springs, Missouri, serving 430 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Blue Springs R-IV School District, which is ranked 30th out of 367 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Thomas J. Ultican Elementary has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 35th out of 1,052 schools in 2018-2019 to 430th out of 900 schools in 2024-2025, its performance generally lags behind nearby schools in the district, such as James Walker Elementary, Franklin Smith Elementary, and Lucy Franklin Elementary. In recent years, the school's proficiency rates in core subjects like mathematics and English Language Arts have fallen below district and state averages, though it has performed well in certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and multi-racial students.

Additionally, Thomas J. Ultican Elementary has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.1% to 19.8% in recent years, which is higher than the rates of nearby schools. The school has also seen a significant increase in the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, from 24.24% in 2021-2022 to 44.19% in 2023-2024, suggesting a growing population of students from lower-income households. While the school's per-student spending has increased over the years, the fluctuations in its performance and the socioeconomic challenges it faces highlight the need for targeted interventions and support to enhance the educational outcomes for all students.

419

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,994

Per pupil spending ?

45.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1812 NW Vesper
Blue Springs, MO 64015-3263

(816) 874-3710

District: Blue Springs R-IV

Students who attend Thomas J. Ultican Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Paul Kinder Middle School
High:	Blue Springs High

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.1%

Hispanic:

12.4%

African American:

10.3%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Thomas J. Ultican Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 90th percentile in 2015 → 52nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Missouri median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 38 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Blue Springs R-IV's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg62%

Missouri avg42%

430^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 38 pts since 2015

From top 10% (2015) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Blue Springs R-IV

30^th of 367Blue Springs R-IV among Missouri districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	52.6	430 of 900	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	380 of 906	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.5	340 of 898	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.2	396 of 908	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	84.2	116 of 901	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	92.4	35 of 1052	96.7%	★★★★★
2018	83.3	125 of 1045	88.0%	★★★★☆
2017	82.8	128 of 1032	87.6%	★★★★☆
2016	91.2	40 of 865	95.4%	★★★★★
2015	86.3	104 of 1058	90.2%	★★★★★
2014	66.1	319 of 1089	70.7%	★★★★☆
2013	76.0	194 of 1108	82.5%	★★★★☆
2012	77.7	162 of 1085	85.1%	★★★★☆
2011	62.8	400 of 1088	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	76.0	197 of 1066	81.5%	★★★★☆
2009	57.6	440 of 1053	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.1	418 of 1084	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	54.0	496 of 1080	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.7	262 of 1074	75.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	85.6	19 of 302	93.7%	★★★★★
2018	73.5	54 of 251	78.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	66.5	25 of 120	79.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	66.3	160 of 638	74.9%	★★★★☆
2024	60.3	184 of 625	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	102 of 611	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	96.4	11 of 907	98.8%	★★★★★
2018	93.5	14 of 887	98.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	98.0	1 of 41	97.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	40.9	417 of 666	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.3	312 of 668	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	292 of 673	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.5	385 of 675	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	79.3	119 of 691	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	93.0	25 of 917	97.3%	★★★★★
2018	78.8	138 of 898	84.6%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Multi-racial (2019)98th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)94th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2019)79th percentile-18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)75th percentile+23 vs school

White (2025)37th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts43%~ state avg

Science41%~ state avg

Mathematics40%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Thomas J. Ultican Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)			MAP Science (2025)	MAP English Language Arts (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Thomas J. Ultican Elementary	Public	K-5	1812 NW Vesper	Blue Springs	64015	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3710	419	30	14.0	45.8%	281 (67.1%)	43 (10.3%)	52 (12.4%)	2 (0.5%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	33 (7.9%)	52.6	430^th of 900 public elementary schools	52.2%		56.9	380^th of 906 public elementary schools	58.1%	50	44.5	34.7	41.4	41.3	49.9	38.9	41.4	$13,994	$414	$13,580
Franklin Smith Elementary	Public	K-5	1609 Clark Rd	Blue Springs	64015	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3640	401	33	12.1	41.6%	247 (61.6%)	58 (14.5%)	45 (11.2%)	7 (1.7%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (9.7%)	88.8	81^st of 900 public elementary schools	91.0%		76.7	180^th of 906 public elementary schools	80.1%	99	73.3	80.5	52.9	51.7	63.9	85.8		$15,219	$705	$14,514
James Walker Elementary	Public	K-5	201 SE Sunnyside School Rd	Blue Springs	64014	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3660	456	32	14.2	49.8%	263 (57.7%)	79 (17.3%)	70 (15.4%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	35 (7.7%)	96.6	14^th of 900 public elementary schools	98.4%		96.4	14^th of 906 public elementary schools	98.5%		81.7	85.0	67.2	74.4		78.4	73.1	$12,493	$401	$12,092
William Bryant Elementary	Public	K-5	1101 SE Sunnyside School Rd	Blue Springs	64014	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3730	529	32	16.7	30.8%	366 (69.2%)	60 (11.3%)	64 (12.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.4%)	70.2	248^th of 900 public elementary schools	72.4%		77.7	169^th of 906 public elementary schools	81.3%	79	66.2	60.7	30.1	45.7	55.0	47.3	56.2	$12,097	$393	$11,704
John Nowlin Elementary	Public	K-5	5020 NW Valley View Rd	Blue Springs	64015	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3670	460	34	13.7	38.0%	271 (58.9%)	70 (15.2%)	55 (12.0%)	8 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (12.2%)	77.4	186^th of 900 public elementary schools	79.3%		73.8	206^th of 906 public elementary schools	77.3%	20	65.6	68.4	41.2	42.4	63.9	65.2	52.4	$13,676	$405	$13,271
James Lewis Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	717 NW Park Rd	Blue Springs	64015	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 874-3650	473	37	12.7	29.8%	335 (70.8%)	44 (9.3%)	61 (12.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.1%)	91.5	56^th of 900 public elementary schools	93.8%		70.8	247^th of 906 public elementary schools	72.7%	191	76.0	61.7	60.1	70.9	61.1		70.9	$14,345	$526	$13,819
Sunny Pointe Elementary	Public	K-5	3920 South R D Mize Rd	Blue Springs	64015	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3700	506	38	13.3	35.6%	346 (68.4%)	58 (11.5%)	62 (12.3%)	7 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (5.9%)	73.2	217^th of 900 public elementary schools	75.9%		71.8	235^th of 906 public elementary schools	74.1%	18	42.4	51.8	58.2	63.0	47.0	49.3	59.4	$14,127	$576	$13,551
Daniel Young Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	505 SE Shamrock Ln	Blue Springs	64014	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 874-3630	330	26	12.8	42.4%	208 (63.0%)	39 (11.8%)	49 (14.8%)	5 (1.5%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.9%)	70.3	246^th of 900 public elementary schools	72.7%		77.6	170^th of 906 public elementary schools	81.2%	76	49.0	73.7	50.8	49.0	39.5			$15,548	$433	$15,115
Lucy Franklin Elementary	Public	K-5	111 NE Roanoke Dr	Blue Springs	64014	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 874-3690	536	36	14.8	19.6%	395 (73.7%)	30 (5.6%)	69 (12.9%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (0.9%)	30 (5.6%)	90	73^rd of 900 public elementary schools	91.9%		88.5	69^th of 906 public elementary schools	92.4%	4	69.6	65.8	58.0	69.5	65.1	63.7	63.3	$12,911	$397	$12,513
Cordill-Mason Elementary	Public	K-5	4001 SW Christiansen Rd	Blue Springs	64014	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 874-3610	681	51	13.3	25.7%	454 (66.7%)	102 (15.0%)	59 (8.7%)	12 (1.8%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (7.3%)	79	168^th of 900 public elementary schools	81.3%		82.6	130^th of 906 public elementary schools	85.7%	38	63.4	54.4	64.0	53.6	52.8	48.4	60.8	$13,929	$578	$13,351

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas J. Ultican Elementary

How many students attend Thomas J. Ultican Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 419 students attended Thomas J. Ultican Elementary.

What district is Thomas J. Ultican Elementary in?

Blue Springs R-IV

What schools do graduates of Thomas J. Ultican Elementary attend?

Students who attend Thomas J. Ultican Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Paul Kinder Middle School
High : Blue Springs High

Is Thomas J. Ultican Elementary a good school?

Thomas J. Ultican Elementary ranks 430^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas J. Ultican Elementary?

Students at Thomas J. Ultican Elementary are 67% White, 12% Hispanic, 10% African American, 8% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Rate Thomas J. Ultican 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.