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Van Horn High

Public Grades 9-12

290^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 367 Missouri High Schools

Better than 21% of Missouri high schools

Summary

Van Horn High is a public high school located in Independence, Missouri, serving 1,113 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Independence 30 School District. While the school has a relatively high four-year graduation rate, it consistently underperforms compared to the state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 19.2% of students proficient or better in MAP/Algebra I, compared to 31.8% for the district and 45.4% for the state.

One of the school's most significant challenges is its high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 31.7% to 48.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the other high schools in the district, Truman High and William Chrisman High. Additionally, Van Horn High struggles to effectively serve its diverse student population, with the school's rankings for African American, Hispanic, and White student subgroups all in the bottom half of Missouri high schools.

Despite the school's challenges, it is important to note that Van Horn High spends a relatively high amount per student, ranging from $10,510 to $11,960 per student over the past few years, suggesting that the academic struggles are not due to a lack of funding or resources. Furthermore, the school has shown some signs of improvement, with its statewide ranking improving from 398 out of 460 Missouri high schools in 2018-2019 to 269 out of 378 in 2023-2024, indicating that the school may have the potential to make further progress with the right interventions and support.

1,067

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,207

Per pupil spending ?

77.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1109 S Arlington Ave
Independence, MO 64053-1613

(816) 521-5360

District: Independence 30

Feeder schools for Van Horn High:

Elementary:	Abraham Mallinson Elementary
	Cassell Park Elementary
	Fairmount Elementary
	Korte Elementary
	More...
	Sugar Creek Elementary
	Three Trails Elementary
Middle:	Clifford H. Nowlin Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.9%

White:

35.1%

African American:

14.6%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 23rd percentile in 2015 → 21st in 2025

Strengths

✓91% graduate within 4 years

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (27% vs 45% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg35%

Missouri avg45%

290^th of 367

Missouri public high schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Missouri High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3High 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	24.0	290 of 367	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	269 of 378	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.3	313 of 352	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.2	281 of 361	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.5	281 of 358	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.7	398 of 460	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.2	359 of 468	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.4	272 of 404	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	26.0	337 of 401	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	33.8	386 of 504	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	15.4	482 of 521	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	17.9	477 of 523	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	23.2	462 of 522	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.1	425 of 528	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	82 of 105	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.4	39 of 105	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	23.9	86 of 99	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	52.0	46 of 105	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.3	54 of 96	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2022	19.0	103 of 111	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	43.4	75 of 129	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	33.5	34 of 53	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.7	32 of 45	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.0	38 of 42	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.9	26 of 33	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	34 of 74	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	29.5	53 of 70	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	60 of 64	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	39.3	32 of 57	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.7	15 of 40	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	22.9	78 of 91	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	58 of 84	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	166 of 279	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.8	198 of 274	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.9	239 of 268	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.3	132 of 250	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.5	165 of 255	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.1	280 of 368	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.7	222 of 382	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	27 of 40	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.8	16 of 23	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	15.7	49 of 52	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	15.0	131 of 138	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	57.9	42 of 135	68.9%	★★★★☆
2023	54.7	46 of 127	63.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	11.2	279 of 306	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.0	259 of 321	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	280 of 302	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	28.5	217 of 310	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.0	267 of 309	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.8	363 of 430	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.1	347 of 440	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)54th percentile+33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile+20 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)36th percentile+15 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)32nd percentile+12 vs school

African American (2025)22nd percentile~ school

White (2025)9th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2022)7th percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2025)5th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Government37%-4 vs state

English II35%-18 vs state

Algebra II34%-24 vs state

Algebra I19%-26 vs state

Biology I16%-21 vs state

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Schools Near Van Horn High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Algebra I (2025)	MAP Biology I (2025)	MAP English II (2025)	MAP Algebra II (2025)	MAP Government (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 Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Van Horn High	Public	9-12	1109 S Arlington Ave	Independence	64053	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5360	1,067	64	16.8	77.9%	374 (35.1%)	156 (14.6%)	415 (38.9%)	8 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	113 (10.6%)	24	290^th of 367 public high schools	21.0%		28.6	269^th of 378 public high schools	28.8%	21	19.2	15.9	34.7	33.9	36.9	$14,207	$1,306	$12,901
KIPP Kc Legacy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	1522 Winchester Ave	Kansas City	64126	Jackson County	Kipp: Endeavor Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 241-3994	382	31	12.1	100.0%	7 (1.8%)	282 (73.8%)	76 (19.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)								(n/a)	23.1	13.0	18.0			$15,392	$1,065	$14,327
Independence Academy	Public	9-12	600 W Mechanic Ave	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	No	(816) 521-5505	0	44	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
William Chrisman High	Public	9-12	1223 N Noland Rd	Independence	64050	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5355	1,417	83	16.9	70.4%	753 (53.1%)	211 (14.9%)	256 (18.1%)	6 (0.4%)	13 (0.9%)	19 (1.3%)	159 (11.2%)	39.2	209^th of 367 public high schools	43.1%		41.4	204^th of 378 public high schools	46.0%	5	19.3	25.3	50.2	49.1	40.4	$13,496	$1,495	$12,002
East High School	Public	9-12	1924 Van Brunt Blvd	Kansas City	64127	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-3125	1,155	73	15.7	100.0%	44 (3.8%)	395 (34.2%)	628 (54.4%)	71 (6.1%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	10 (0.9%)	5.9	350^th of 367 public high schools	4.6%		6.4	358^th of 378 public high schools	5.3%	8	7.7	7.8	12.0		11.6	$18,155	$2,281	$15,874
Frontier Stem High School	Public, Charter	9-12	6455 E Commerce Ave.	Kansas City	64120	Jackson County	Frontier Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(816) 241-6202	401	39	10.2	77.6%	23 (5.7%)	76 (19.0%)	289 (72.1%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.7%)	83.3	22^nd of 367 public high schools	94.0%		60.4	97^th of 378 public high schools	74.3%	75	70.1	55.2	64.8			$20,612	$1,144	$19,468
Northeast High	Public	9-12	415 S Van Brunt	Kansas City	64124	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-3300	732	49	14.7	100.0%	55 (7.5%)	327 (44.7%)	237 (32.4%)	86 (11.7%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.1%)	17 (2.3%)	7.9	341^st of 367 public high schools	7.1%		6.7	357^th of 378 public high schools	5.6%	16	6.9	10.8	21.8		14.1	$18,566	$1,996	$16,569
Truman High	Public	9-12	3301 S Noland Rd	Independence	64055	Jackson County	Independence 30	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 521-5350	1,720	92	18.6	62.2%	780 (45.3%)	270 (15.7%)	455 (26.5%)	14 (0.8%)	8 (0.5%)	20 (1.2%)	173 (10.1%)	37.2	220^th of 367 public high schools	40.1%		38.4	220^th of 378 public high schools	41.8%		20.9	31.8	45.0	41.0	34.7	$12,952	$1,535	$11,418
Central High School	Public	9-12	3221 Indiana	Kansas City	64128	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 418-2005	519	36	14.5	100.0%	29 (5.6%)	408 (78.6%)	60 (11.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.2%)	13 (2.5%)	14.8	318^th of 367 public high schools	13.4%		5.1	368^th of 378 public high schools	2.6%	50	24.4	12.8	26.2			$18,511	$2,023	$16,487
Lincoln College Prep.	Public, Magnet	9-12	2111 Woodland	Kansas City	64108	Jackson County	Kansas City 33	No	Yes	No	No	(816) 418-3000	997	50	19.9	100.0%	260 (26.1%)	401 (40.2%)	240 (24.1%)	53 (5.3%)	2 (0.2%)	11 (1.1%)	30 (3.0%)	80.7	32^nd of 367 public high schools	91.3%		74.7	41^st of 378 public high schools	89.2%	9	48.8	61.8	84.8	50.6		$18,250	$1,855	$16,395

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Horn High

What schools feed into Van Horn High?

Van Horn High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Abraham Mallinson Elementary
Elementary : Cassell Park Elementary
Elementary : Fairmount Elementary
Elementary : Korte Elementary
Elementary : Sugar Creek Elementary
Elementary : Three Trails Elementary
Middle : Clifford H. Nowlin Middle

Is Van Horn High a good school?

Van Horn High ranks in the bottom 21.0% of Missouri high schools.

How many students attend Van Horn High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,067 students attended Van Horn High.

What district is Van Horn High in?

Independence 30

What is the racial makeup of Van Horn High?

Students at Van Horn High are 39% Hispanic, 35% White, 15% African American, 11% Two or more races.

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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.