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William Southern Elementary

Q: Is William Southern Elementary a good school?

William Southern Elementary ranks 427 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

427^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

William Southern Elementary is a public elementary school located in Independence, Missouri, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 452 students. The school is part of the Independence 30 School District, which is ranked 238 out of 367 districts in Missouri and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

William Southern Elementary has shown a fluctuating performance on state assessments (MAP) over the years, with its ranking among Missouri elementary schools ranging from 427 (3 stars) to 637 (1 star) in the past 10 years. The school's performance on MAP assessments is generally below the state and district averages, particularly in mathematics and science. However, the school has performed relatively well in certain student subgroups, such as African American students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking among the top 25% of Missouri elementary schools in these categories. The school also has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 25.3% to 33.9% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to nearby schools within the same Independence 30 district, Glendale Elementary and Sycamore Hills Elementary generally perform at a similar or slightly higher level than William Southern Elementary on state assessments. However, when compared to schools in the neighboring Raytown C-2 district, which are generally lower-performing, William Southern Elementary appears to be a relatively stronger-performing school. The nearby Blue Springs R-IV district schools, such as William Yates Elementary and Voy Spears Junior Elementary, significantly outperform William Southern Elementary on state assessments, ranking among the top 5% of Missouri elementary schools.

458

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,831

Per pupil spending ?

74.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4300 S Phelps Rd
Independence, MO 64055-5102

(816) 521-5475

District: Independence 30

Students who attend William Southern Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bridger Middle
	Pioneer Ridge Middle
High:	Truman High

Racial breakdown:

White:

36.9%

African American:

34.3%

Hispanic:

17.7%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare William Southern Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 44th percentile in 2015 → 53rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Missouri median (53rd percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg35%

Missouri avg42%

427^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to top 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 19Elementary Schools in the Independence 30

238^th of 367Independence 30 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	53.3	427 of 900	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.5	438 of 906	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.2	506 of 898	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.5	597 of 908	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.3	637 of 901	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	69.0	284 of 1052	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	44.6	585 of 1045	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.6	779 of 1032	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	42.5	542 of 865	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.0	590 of 1058	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.6	545 of 1089	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	30.0	877 of 1108	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.3	716 of 1085	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.5	583 of 1088	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	50.9	568 of 1066	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	50.8	559 of 1053	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.0	512 of 1084	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	66.2	290 of 1080	73.1%	★★★★☆
2006	71.1	227 of 1074	78.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	61.6	44 of 190	76.8%	★★★★☆
2023	67.0	36 of 185	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	95.2	1 of 163	99.4%	★★★★★
2019	71.4	44 of 250	82.4%	★★★★☆
2018	67.2	53 of 243	78.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	66.4	158 of 638	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	60.0	189 of 625	69.8%	★★★★☆
2023	55.7	223 of 611	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	38.8	328 of 532	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	57.2	189 of 574	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.8	86 of 907	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	56.8	344 of 887	61.2%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	65.3	11 of 41	73.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	82.0	102 of 666	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	56.8	277 of 668	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.6	368 of 673	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	78.1	150 of 917	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	44.0	506 of 898	43.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)85th percentile+32 vs school

African American (2025)77th percentile+24 vs school

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

Multi-racial (2019)73rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts46%~ state avg

Science44%~ state avg

Mathematics39%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near William Southern 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 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
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
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
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
Fleetridge Elementary	Public	K-5	13001 E 55th St	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-7220	355	25	14.4	59.7%	96 (27.0%)	129 (36.3%)	81 (22.8%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	42 (11.8%)	32.2	645^th of 900 public elementary schools	28.3%		26	689^th of 906 public elementary schools	24.0%	44	25.1	41.3	27.0	29.0	29.0	34.4		$15,091	$1,676	$13,415
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
Little Blue Elementary	Public	K-5	13900 E 61st Street	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-7740	379	29	13.1	64.4%	124 (32.7%)	120 (31.7%)	86 (22.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	42 (11.1%)	31	653^rd of 900 public elementary schools	27.4%		27.7	678^th of 906 public elementary schools	25.2%	25	26.0	37.6	26.7	20.6	32.3	37.6	31.1	$15,533	$2,882	$12,651
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
Three Trails Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11801 E 32nd St S	Independence	64052	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5470	328	23	14.0	84.5%	115 (35.1%)	46 (14.0%)	126 (38.4%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	33 (10.1%)	29.3	667^th of 900 public elementary schools	25.9%		39	569^th of 906 public elementary schools	37.2%	98	27.6	49.0	17.1	19.2	28.0			$13,341	$1,231	$12,110
Norfleet Elementary	Public	K-5	6140 Norfleet Rd	Kansas City	64133	Jackson County	Raytown C-2	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 268-7240	329	27	12.0	60.8%	77 (23.4%)	157 (47.7%)	51 (15.5%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	40 (12.2%)	16.3	764^th of 900 public elementary schools	15.1%		9.8	836^th of 906 public elementary schools	7.7%	72	24.6	15.6	13.0	22.7	22.4	22.9	26.1	$17,531	$1,972	$15,559

Frequently Asked Questions about William Southern Elementary

How many students attend William Southern Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 458 students attended William Southern Elementary.

What district is William Southern Elementary in?

Independence 30

What is the racial makeup of William Southern Elementary?

Students at William Southern Elementary are 37% White, 34% African American, 18% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is William Southern Elementary a good school?

William Southern Elementary ranks 427^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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

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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.