William Southern Elementary

Q: Is William Southern Elementary a good school?

William Southern Elementary ranks 506 th of 898 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public PK, KG-5

4300 S Phelps Rd
Independence, MO 64055-5102

(816) 521-5475

District: Independence 30

SchoolDigger Rank:
506^th of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,108

Students who attend William Southern Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bridger Middle
	Pioneer Ridge Middle
High:	Truman High

Student/teacher ratio: 18.8

Number of students: 430

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.6%

African American:

30.2%

Hispanic:

15.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 72.8%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare William Southern Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details William Southern Elementary ranks worse than 56.3% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 9^th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.18. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at William Southern Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (41.6%), African American (30.2%), Hispanic (15.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 72.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at William Southern Elementary is 18.8. 20 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare William Southern Elementary employs 22.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William Southern Elementary is $13,108, which is the 7^th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Independence 30 School District.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

William Southern Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks William Southern Elementary 506^th of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See William Southern Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

White students:

Independence 30:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence 30 235^th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for William Southern Elementary

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Rank History for all students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	71.15	227^th	1074	78.9%
2007	66.17	290^th	1080	73.1%
2008	53.02	512^th	1084	52.8%
2009	50.79	559^th	1053	46.9%
2010	50.92	568^th	1066	46.7%
2011	51.53	583^rd	1088	46.4%
2012	42.34	716^th	1085	34.0%
2013	29.99	877^th	1108	20.8%
2014	51.64	545^th	1089	50.0%
2015	48.02	590^th	1058	44.2%
2016	42.48	542^nd	865	37.3%
2017	30.58	779^th	1032	24.5%
2018	44.60	585^th	1045	44.0%
2019	68.99	284^th	1052	73.0%
2021	32.30	637^th	901	29.3%
2022	35.46	597^th	908	34.3%
2023	45.18	506^th	898	43.7%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.34	11^th	41	73.2%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	56.77	344^th	887	61.2%
2019	79.76	86^th	907	90.5%
2021	57.23	189^th	574	67.1%
2022	38.83	328^th	532	38.3%
2023	55.72	223^rd	611	63.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	67.25	53^rd	243	78.2%
2019	71.38	44^th	250	82.4%
2021	95.22	1^st	163	99.4%
2023	66.95	36^th	185	80.5%

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

Rank History for White students at William Southern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	43.99	506^th	898	43.7%
2019	78.13	150^th	917	83.6%
2023	44.55	368^th	673	45.3%

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 William Southern Elementary

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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	652	652
1992	601	13	8	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	629
1993	608	15	7	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	640
1994	580	14	9	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	611
1995	566	16	10	41	3	n/a	n/a	0	636
1996	566	16	10	41	3	n/a	n/a	0	636
1997	617	19	11	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	664
1998	567	28	13	15	7	n/a	n/a	0	630
1999	549	25	15	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	613
2000	500	23	18	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	564
2001	410	22	11	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	466
2002	411	48	9	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	499
2003	411	48	9	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	499
2004	444	50	12	33	3	n/a	n/a	0	542
2005	396	55	15	32	4	n/a	n/a	0	502
2006	369	48	19	48	6	n/a	n/a	0	490
2007	380	62	13	55	8	n/a	n/a	0	518
2008	371	70	18	57	7	n/a	n/a	0	523
2009	341	113	13	57	7	n/a	n/a	0	531
2010	315	136	12	69	5	n/a	n/a	0	537
2011	306	133	9	78	5	0	13	0	544
2012	295	143	8	62	3	1	22	0	534
2013	310	143	12	67	1	1	32	0	566
2014	295	139	9	71	1	2	33	0	550
2015	287	137	7	72	1	1	22	0	527
2016	273	134	8	70	1	1	36	0	523
2017	266	138	6	65	2	4	44	0	525
2018	244	126	3	57	1	10	54	0	495
2019	235	123	8	52	0	10	54	0	482
2020	210	130	5	60	0	9	49	0	463
2021	172	122	3	61	0	9	54	0	421
2022	167	121	3	66	0	7	41	0	405
2023	179	130	5	67	2	8	39	0	430

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 William Southern Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	652	31.9	20.4	n/a
1992	629	32.2	19.5	10
1993	640	32.4	19.8	14.8
1994	611	35.4	17.3	16.5
1995	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1996	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1997	664	37.1	17.9	19.4
1998	630	34.8	18.1	20.6
1999	613	39.2	15.6	0
2000	564	36.3	15.5	27.8
2001	466	29.4	15.9	24
2002	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2003	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2004	542	29.6	18.3	31.9
2005	502	29.1	17.3	39
2006	490	31.7	15.5	37.6
2007	518	30.6	16.9	39.4
2008	523	34.3	15.2	41.1
2009	531	39.0	13.6	47.3
2010	537	32.3	16.6	54.2
2011	544	30.2	18.0	57
2012	534	33.2	16.0	61.8
2013	566	32.6	17.3	61.5
2014	550	31.7	17.3	55.6
2015	527	31.0	17.0	60.5
2016	523	35.0	14.9	62.7
2017	525	31.3	16.7	62.7
2018	495	30.2	16.3	67.7
2019	482	30.2	15.9	66.6
2020	463	30.2	15.2	67.4
2021	421	26.0	16.1	66.5
2022	405	26.1	15.4	62.7
2023	430	22.8	18.8	72.8

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 William Southern Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	652	31.9	20.4	n/a
1992	629	32.2	19.5	10
1993	640	32.4	19.8	14.8
1994	611	35.4	17.3	16.5
1995	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1996	636	35.9	17.7	19.5
1997	664	37.1	17.9	19.4
1998	630	34.8	18.1	20.6
1999	613	39.2	15.6	0
2000	564	36.3	15.5	27.8
2001	466	29.4	15.9	24
2002	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2003	499	29.3	17.0	27.1
2004	542	29.6	18.3	31.9
2005	502	29.1	17.3	39
2006	490	31.7	15.5	37.6
2007	518	30.6	16.9	39.4
2008	523	34.3	15.2	41.1
2009	531	39.0	13.6	47.3
2010	537	32.3	16.6	54.2
2011	544	30.2	18.0	57
2012	534	33.2	16.0	61.8
2013	566	32.6	17.3	61.5
2014	550	31.7	17.3	55.6
2015	527	31.0	17.0	60.5
2016	523	35.0	14.9	62.7
2017	525	31.3	16.7	62.7
2018	495	30.2	16.3	67.7
2019	482	30.2	15.9	66.6
2020	463	30.2	15.2	67.4
2021	421	26.0	16.1	66.5
2022	405	26.1	15.4	62.7
2023	430	22.8	18.8	72.8

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 William Southern Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,432 (13.5%)	$9,143 (86.5%)	$10,576
2020	$1,754 (15.8%)	$9,335 (84.2%)	$11,089
2021	$2,293 (20.4%)	$8,946 (79.6%)	$11,239
2022	$3,715 (28.3%)	$9,393 (71.7%)	$13,108

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William Southern 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 284^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 506^th of 898 Elementary schools	29.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (William Southern Elementary)	50.7	36	14.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	38.5	28.3	10.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (William Southern Elementary)	54.4	44	10.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	44	36.4	7.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (William Southern Elementary)	58.8	15.3	43.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	43.3	30.1	13.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (William Southern Elementary)	55.3	38	17.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	47.1	38.1	9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (William Southern Elementary)	46.8	45.3	1.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Independence 30)	37.2	35.6	1.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (William Southern Elementary)	52.1	44.6	7.5%
5th Grade Science (Independence 30)	42.4	38.6	3.8%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.6	1.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (William Southern Elementary)	60.6	45.2	15.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence 30)	46.6	39.5	7.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	482	430	10.8%
African American	123	130	5.7%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	8	5	37.5%
Hispanic	52	67	28.8%
Pacific Islander	10	8	20%
White	235	179	23.8%
Two or More Races	54	39	27.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.6%	72.8%	6.2%

Schools Near William Southern Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MAP Mathematics (2023)			MAP Science (2023)	MAP English Language Arts (2023)			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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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 Southern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4300 S Phelps Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 521-5475	430	23	18.8	72.8%	179 (41.6%)	130 (30.2%)	67 (15.6%)	5 (1.2%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (1.9%)	39 (9.1%)	45.2	506^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.7%		35.5	597^th of 908 public elementary schools	34.3%	91	36.0	15.3	45.3		44.0	38.0	45.2	$13,108	$3,715	$9,393
Sycamore Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	15208 E 39th St S	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 521-5465	543	31	17.5	55.4%	306 (56.4%)	36 (6.6%)	138 (25.4%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.3%)	50 (9.2%)	60.2	354^th of 898 public elementary schools	60.6%		66.9	276^th of 908 public elementary schools	69.6%	78	26.4	41.0	47.7	54.6	41.3	50.6	55.8	$11,058	$2,128	$8,929
John W. Luff Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 S Delaware Ave	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 521-5415	354	23	15.2	64.4%	162 (45.8%)	55 (15.5%)	83 (23.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	47 (13.3%)	60.7	346^th of 898 public elementary schools	61.5%		70.3	237^th of 908 public elementary schools	73.9%	109	51.7	38.2	37.0	47.8	48.4			$12,684	$2,115	$10,569
William Yates Elementary	Public	K-5	3600 Davidson Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 874-3740	414	32	13.0	48.6%	204 (49.3%)	75 (18.1%)	63 (15.2%)	11 (2.7%)	3 (0.7%)	9 (2.2%)	49 (11.8%)	94.5	27^th of 898 public elementary schools	97.0%		94.4	24^th of 908 public elementary schools	97.4%	3	69.6	88.4	81.8	74.6	59.5	73.9		$12,829	$929	$11,901
Fleetridge Elementary	Public	K-5	13001 E 55th St	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 268-7220	315	24	12.9	64.8%	84 (26.7%)	123 (39.0%)	61 (19.4%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (14.0%)	27.9	685^th of 898 public elementary schools	23.7%		19	749^th of 908 public elementary schools	17.5%	64	9.6	17.0		46.8	18.0	17.0	51.1	$15,003	$2,179	$12,823
Hanthorn Early Education	Public	PK	1511 Kings Hwy	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 521-5485	220	12	18.3	90.9%	89 (40.5%)	40 (18.2%)	44 (20.0%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	43 (19.5%)								(n/a)
Glendale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2611 S Lee's Summit Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 521-5510	458	28	16.1	69.2%	237 (51.7%)	97 (21.2%)	75 (16.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	44 (9.6%)	57.3	382^nd of 898 public elementary schools	57.5%		46.1	495^th of 908 public elementary schools	45.5%	113	36.5	37.3	44.7	44.6	49.2	42.6	53.6	$11,625	$2,525	$9,100
Little Blue Elementary	Public	K-5	13900 E 61st Street	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 268-7740	373	31	11.8	65.1%	120 (32.2%)	124 (33.2%)	73 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	52 (13.9%)	36.8	593^rd of 898 public elementary schools	34.0%		27.7	670^th of 908 public elementary schools	26.2%	77	24.5		26.2	39.4	24.5	24.1	50.8	$13,930	$2,384	$11,547
Voy Spears Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	201 NE Anderson	Lees Summit	64064	Jackson County	Blue Springs R-IV	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 874-3720	565	36	15.8	11.0%	408 (72.2%)	56 (9.9%)	47 (8.3%)	19 (3.4%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	31 (5.5%)	96.8	15^th of 898 public elementary schools	98.3%		96.4	14^th of 908 public elementary schools	98.5%	1	82.2	77.5	71.3	69.4	76.0	86.6	71.3	$10,732	$928	$9,804
Three Trails Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11801 E 32nd St S	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 521-5470	317	21	14.8	74.8%	138 (43.5%)	35 (11.0%)	115 (36.3%)	4 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (6.9%)	45.2	507^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.5%		59.4	368^th of 908 public elementary schools	59.5%	139	20.0	30.4	51.8	41.3			36.8	$12,034	$2,466	$9,568

Frequently Asked Questions about William Southern Elementary

What district is William Southern Elementary in?

Independence 30

How many students attend William Southern Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 430 students attended William Southern Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of William Southern Elementary?

Students at William Southern Elementary are 42% White, 30% African American, 16% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of William Southern Elementary attend?

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

Middle : Bridger Middle
Middle : Pioneer Ridge Middle
High : Truman High

Is William Southern Elementary a good school?

William Southern Elementary ranks 506^th of 898 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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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