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William Yates Elementary

Public Grades K-5

46^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 95% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

William Yates Elementary is a public elementary school in Independence, Missouri, serving 447 students in grades K-5 and part of the Blue Springs R-IV School District, which is ranked 30th out of 367 districts in the state.

William Yates Elementary has consistently been one of the top-performing elementary schools in Missouri, maintaining a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade. The school's academic performance is exceptional, with proficiency rates in mathematics ranging from 68.5% to 77.6%, significantly higher than the state average of 38.2% to 43.8%. Similarly, the school's English Language Arts proficiency rates range from 60.4% to 72.6%, compared to the state average of 41.8% to 44.8%. William Yates Elementary also stands out for its strong performance among diverse student populations, ranking among the top Missouri elementary schools for Hispanic, White, and low-income students.

While William Yates Elementary's chronic absenteeism rate has increased in recent years, it remains lower than the state and district averages. When compared to nearby schools in the Independence 30 School District, such as Voy Spears Junior Elementary, William Yates Elementary consistently outperforms its peers in academic achievement and other key metrics, making it an exemplary public elementary school in the region.

463

Students ?

13.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,186

Per pupil spending ?

49.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3600 Davidson Rd
Independence, MO 64055-3843

(816) 874-3740

District: Blue Springs R-IV

Students who attend William Yates Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Delta Woods Middle
High:	Blue Springs High

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.5%

Hispanic:

22.5%

African American:

18.4%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare William Yates Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 99th percentile in 2015 → 95th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Missouri average (69% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of Missouri elementary schools

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg62%

Missouri avg42%

46^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Top 5%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 1% (2015) to top 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^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	92.6	46 of 900	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	94.5	28 of 906	96.9%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	27 of 898	97.0%	★★★★★
2022	94.4	24 of 908	97.4%	★★★★★
2021	81.2	134 of 901	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	83.3	120 of 1052	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	88.8	74 of 1045	92.9%	★★★★★
2017	93.2	22 of 1032	97.9%	★★★★★
2016	85.0	109 of 865	87.4%	★★★★☆
2015	95.6	10 of 1058	99.1%	★★★★★
2014	93.2	27 of 1089	97.5%	★★★★★
2013	85.7	90 of 1108	91.9%	★★★★★
2012	91.1	37 of 1085	96.6%	★★★★★
2011	82.3	123 of 1088	88.7%	★★★★☆
2010	83.4	117 of 1066	89.0%	★★★★☆
2009	53.3	518 of 1053	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.1	232 of 1084	78.6%	★★★★☆
2007	61.4	360 of 1080	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	79.0	137 of 1074	87.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	77.5	12 of 120	90.0%	★★★★★
2018	79.4	8 of 105	92.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	96.8	15 of 638	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	94.3	15 of 611	97.5%	★★★★★
2019	90.3	25 of 907	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	86.6	49 of 887	94.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	95.7	11 of 666	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	93.7	25 of 668	96.3%	★★★★★
2023	95.3	16 of 673	97.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.4	14 of 675	97.9%	★★★★★
2021	82.6	95 of 691	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	82.9	101 of 917	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	90.7	46 of 898	94.9%	★★★★★

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)

White (2025)98th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)98th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2019)90th percentile~ school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics74%+33 vs state

English Language Arts67%+23 vs state

Science61%+19 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Saturday, November 7, 2015

My granddaughter attends William Yates Elementary she is in kindergarten. She very much enjoys attending this school. She is always happy when she comes home each day from school, and more than willing to tell you what she has learned that day. Her teacher is a wonderful lady as well as the rest of the staff being very helpful. The staff always puts the safety of the students first. The principal is a very special lady. Every time I see her she is always saying hello or goodbye to each and every student and trying to make sure that she knows each of them by name. Close Quote

Schools Near William Yates 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
William Yates Elementary	Public	K-5	3600 Davidson Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 874-3740	463	34	13.6	49.5%	197 (42.5%)	85 (18.4%)	104 (22.5%)	8 (1.7%)	5 (1.1%)	14 (3.0%)	50 (10.8%)	92.6	46^th of 900 public elementary schools	94.9%		94.5	28^th of 906 public elementary schools	96.9%	18	75.2	77.6	68.5	61.4	72.6	67.9	60.4	$14,186	$782	$13,404
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	574	33	17.6	62.5%	291 (50.7%)	62 (10.8%)	161 (28.0%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.9%)	49 (8.5%)	57.1	385^th of 900 public elementary schools	57.2%		52.1	431^st of 906 public elementary schools	52.4%	46	52.6	37.8	41.8	39.7	48.8	40.7	45.2	$11,723	$1,062	$10,660
Blackburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	17302 E R D Mize Rd	Independence	64057	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5395	363	27	13.6	45.2%	206 (56.7%)	59 (16.3%)	50 (13.8%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	42 (11.6%)	53.9	423^rd of 900 public elementary schools	53.0%		57	379^th of 906 public elementary schools	58.2%	44	45.8	34.3	44.2	36.5	45.8	47.6	42.2	$13,040	$1,098	$11,942
Glendale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2611 S Lee's Summit Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5510	417	30	13.7	75.3%	194 (46.5%)	91 (21.8%)	90 (21.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	3 (0.7%)	34 (8.2%)	54.5	413^th of 900 public elementary schools	54.1%		54.6	401^st of 906 public elementary schools	55.7%	12	53.5	44.6	30.1		41.9	39.9	44.4	$12,728	$1,307	$11,421
William Southern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 S Phelps Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5475	458	26	17.6	74.5%	169 (36.9%)	157 (34.3%)	81 (17.7%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	41 (9.0%)	53.3	427^th of 900 public elementary schools	52.6%		51.5	438^th of 906 public elementary schools	51.7%	11	33.3	29.4	51.7	44.5	33.7	33.7	67.0	$13,831	$3,139	$10,692
Voy Spears Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	201 NE Anderson	Lees Summit	64064	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(816) 874-3720	546	35	15.4	13.7%	391 (71.6%)	59 (10.8%)	46 (8.4%)	12 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.4%)	97.6	9^th of 900 public elementary schools	99.0%		97.2	9^th of 906 public elementary schools	99.0%		79.7	83.4	80.0	77.8	71.0	81.3		$14,182	$396	$13,786
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	362	25	14.6	73.5%	155 (42.8%)	73 (20.2%)	95 (26.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	32 (8.8%)	57.7	380^th of 900 public elementary schools	57.8%		61.4	332^nd of 906 public elementary schools	63.4%	48	67.2	31.6	26.4	49.9	59.6	37.4	45.3	$12,630	$1,081	$11,549
Little Blue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2020 Quail Drive	Independence	64057	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5480	263	24	10.9	52.1%	157 (59.7%)	44 (16.7%)	29 (11.0%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	24 (9.1%)	38.8	583^rd of 900 public elementary schools	35.2%		41.3	549^th of 906 public elementary schools	39.4%	34	32.6	33.2	23.0		39.9		41.5	$16,630	$4,025	$12,605
Thomas Hart Benton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	429 S Leslie	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5390	401	27	14.6	86.8%	178 (44.4%)	72 (18.0%)	107 (26.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	41 (10.2%)	44	527^th of 900 public elementary schools	41.4%		42.1	540^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.4%	13	35.8	28.0	42.0	43.8	22.1		49.0	$12,580	$1,270	$11,309
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	364	25	14.6	75.8%	192 (52.7%)	44 (12.1%)	80 (22.0%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.4%)	37 (10.2%)	42.1	542^nd of 900 public elementary schools	39.8%		45.6	502^nd of 906 public elementary schools	44.6%	40	35.2	35.1	31.7	43.1		38.8	34.0	$14,157	$1,153	$13,004

Frequently Asked Questions about William Yates Elementary

What district is William Yates Elementary in?

Blue Springs R-IV

Is William Yates Elementary a good school?

Yes. William Yates Elementary ranks in the top 5.1% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend William Yates Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 463 students attended William Yates Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of William Yates Elementary?

Students at William Yates Elementary are 43% White, 22% Hispanic, 18% African American, 11% Two or more races, 3% Pacific Islander, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of William Yates Elementary attend?

Students who attend William Yates Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Delta Woods Middle
High : Blue Springs High

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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.