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King Elementary is a K-6 neighborhood elementary school and is a part of Kansas City Public Schools. Students at King live in the area immediately surrounding the school. Many walk to school but students that live more than a half mile away are bussed in daily. -
King Elementary is a K-6 neighborhood elementary school and is a part of Kansas City Public Schools. Students at King live in the area immediately surrounding the school. Many walk to school but students that live more than a half mile away are bussed in daily. -
Staff at King Elementary work hard to build relationships with every student. Here, students (and a parent) are in the front office signing out for the day and talking with Ms. Alder the school secretary. -
Students at King use Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) to guide their behavior. This model highlights and praises what students are doing well and gives them clear guidelines for behavior across the building. They have pared it down to Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be a Leader. -
Students and teachers at King Elementary have taken the traditional PBIS matrix a step further and created the King Eagle Pledge which encompasses the same values and is posted in the stairway as a reminder to students and visitors. -
That pledge is taken seriously in every part of the school day at King Elementary. Here these 2nd grade students are showing they are safe, respectful, and responsible during hallway transition. -
These 4th grade students are doing the same on their transition from specials back to class. -
In class, these 5th grade students are working on an all school presentation with their teacher. They are narrowing down their options and presentation format. -
Community volunteers are a part of life at King Elementary. The Kansas City Chiefs helped to sponsor this reading room where volunteers from Lead to Read KC come and read with children once each week for 30 minutes. King Elementary also has partnerships with Samaritans Feet (shoes for students), Score One for Health (sports screenings), and Hope Dental (dental care). -
Even students see volunteers as a needed part of their school community. They made this banner for a first grade volunteer from the Foster Grandparent program who has grown close to teachers and students in the building. -
Students display their work in the hallway for visitors, peers, and as a show of pride. Here, first grade students created shape characters and described them using math vocabulary. -
In classrooms, book corners like this one are common for students who would like to spend time with a book of their choice. They are one of the ways students at King Elementary have flexible seating and group work space. -
Students are also grouped by teachers and work together in their table groups to complete some of their in class assignments. Here, students have their bookbags hanging on the back of their chairs in preparation for the end of the day. -
In this 2nd grade classroom, leadership looks like these students working with their teacher to classify books and reorganize their classroom library. They get to practice their listening skills and create a library that helps develop reading fluency. -
These two took a break to read favorite books but they are still leading... -
...because they are sticking to the classroom contract they signed. -
These third grade students are taking notes on a science experiment they want to do with their teacher later. -
In Science Class, these 6th grade students talk with their teacher about the work they are doing on their district provided Science program. All students have a computer or tablet at King. They are used to help with projects, reading and math support, and for classes like science with specialized programs. -
Students have worked on learning about layers of the earth, cell function, and other concepts this year in class. -
In music class, these first grade students sing along with their teacher. In addition to music, students at King Elementary also go to computer lab, PE, library, and art weekly. -
In PE, these kindergarten students practice being a leader (or playing with friends) while they wait for their teacher to finish calling roll. -
At lunch, students can sit with friends and chat. These students received ice cream cones at lunch as a special treat for adhering to uniform policy and demonstrating leadership traits. Students at King all wear khaki pants and navy blue or white tops. As a part of Kansas City Public Schools, students all get free breakfast and lunch daily at school. -
Students also have vending machines with healthy food options that they can use after school. As with all Kansas City Public Schools, Before and After School care are provided without charge to every student at King Elementary. -
Outside, students have a fenced in playground to use during recess. -
Kids also have a black top where they can run relay races like the fourth graders shown here. -
Outside of the playground but still fenced in from the neighborhood is a large green space where students can run and play. -
King Elementary has a nurse, school counselor, and school psychologist on staff to support students and families. -
Beginning in Kindergarten, each student gets a locker to store their personal items. This is one more way to make them feel like a welcome and responsible member of the King Elementary community. -
Dr. Jones makes a personal connection with each and every student.
M. L. King, Jr. Elementary (K-6)
School Leader(s)
Jarius Jones, Principal- NO Tuition
- Availability for 2021-2022
- Transportation provided
- Before and After-Care Available
Quick Facts
Our Mission
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School is an exciting, positive community of lifelong learners engaged in an accountable, respectful, and nurturing environment to foster academic success.
Points of Pride
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School is fortunate to have veteran classroom teachers who have a passion for serving K-6 scholars.
- Our commitment to increase student achievement and to engage every learner, every day is evident in our practice.
- We welcome the voice and support of parents and community stakeholders as we work to change the narrative of Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School.
School Hours
- School Hours: 8:20 am - 3:20 pm
- Before Care Hours Start: 7:00 am
- After Care Hours End: 6:00 pm
School Details
- Year Established: 2010
- Total Enrollment: 356
- Affiliation: KCPS-Neighborhood
- School Type: KCPS-Neighborhood
Feeder Schools
- Middle School: Central Middle School
- High School: Central Academy of Excellence
Tuition
- Tuition: NO Tuition
Our Demographics
Receive Special Ed Services
English Language Learners
Programs and Features
Specialized Programs
- N/A
Arts Programs
- Band
- Instrumental Music
Sports Programs
- Basketball (Boys)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Soccer (Boys)
- Soccer (Girls)
- Track and Field (Boys)
- Track and Field (Girls)
- Volleyball (Girls)
Clubs + Activities
- Chess Club
- Gay-Straight Alliance
- Journalism/Newspaper
- Math Team
- Robotics
- Student Government
Family Engagement
- Evening Family Events
Application Process
Application Details
Although many schools have application deadlines, most continue to accept applications for available seats on an ongoing basis.
- Application Open: December 5, 2019
- Kindergarten Cutoff: July 31, 2020
- Offer Date: March 1, 2021
- Residence: Students live within King's boundaries in the Central Zone
How to Apply
Enroll online on the KCPS website
Applications for signature and neighborhood schools open on December 14, 2020
The initial round of applications deadline is February 15, 2021
The week of March 1st, initial seats will be offered, and parents will need to complete the registration form.
You can still apply after the deadline, seats will be offered at a later date.
Submit applications online or in person at the Board of Education building, 2901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109. Applications CANNOT be submitted at schools.
Student Performance
Standardized Test Results
English
Math
Why It Matters
Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests are scored (or graded) according to four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. The number shown here is the percentage of students who scored Proficient or Advanced. When comparing scores between years, please remember that the test Missouri gives has changed several times.
Please note that private schools are not required to participate in these exams.
In 2019, the average English score in Missouri was 48.7%; the average Math score was 41.9%, source
Attendance Rate 90/90
Why It Matters
Schools strive to have at least 90% of their students achieve a 90% attendance rate because kids learn best when they’re in school.
In 2019, 87.3% of Missouri students were in attendance at least 90% of the time, source.
Third Grade Reading Scores
Why It Matters
Third grade is the important time when kids switch from learning to read to reading to learn and is an important benchmark for a student’s educational development.
In 2019, the average 3rd grade reading score in Missouri was 48.7%, source
Student Growth
English Language Arts
Exceeding
Why It Matters
This data determines if individual students, compared to their peers, are making achievement gains over time in English Language Arts.
There are three categories possible: Floor (minimum), On Track (doing just fine), and Exceeding (outperforming their peers).
Mathematics
Floor
Why It Matters
This data determines if individual students, compared to their peers, are making achievement gains over time in Mathematics.
There are three categories possible: Floor (minimum), On Track (doing just fine), and Exceeding (outperforming their peers).
Parent Perspective
Alkesha Donahue, Parent
My name is Alkesha Donahue. I have two students at King Elementary. For the 2015 – 2016 school year, the Kansas City school district switched my Kindergartner to King Elementary. At the time I was not happy with the idea. Once I attended a parent teacher conference, I was very pleased. The teacher he had was very involved. He was anxious to learn and was willing to teach his brother what he had learned at school for the day.
At the end of the 2016 school year my children attended summer school. I was informed by their father that he had found teachers that the boys could really benefit from. After meeting with their teachers for the 2016 -2017 school year, I was very impressed. It makes a difference when you have teachers involved in your children’s learning. The teachers showed that they cared about their students and their education.
I am pleased with the curriculum at King elementary. I like the fact that the teachers keep me informed of my child’s progress before there’s a conference with the parents. I am constantly blown away by the learning technique that is used to keep the children engaged in learning. I have noticed that a lot has changed since I was in school. I was introduced to the computer my 9th grade year of high school. Today they are introduced by the first grade. I was introduced to Algebra my 9th year and by first grade they are introduced. The kindergartners will already know how to spell, read, and write before first grade. The effort the teachers put into my children’s education it shows. They are excited about learning and they constantly want to learn more. As a parent it makes me very pleased.
Some of the things I like most at King Elementary is that I am always greeted with a smile. The school smells fresh and clean. I love to look at the walls to see the work of the children on display. The boys and I would read quotes or look at pictures and I ask them to explain what is meant by the quotes or the pictures.
I have been blessed to have summer school and the LINC before and after-school care program offered. Because of these programs I am not stressed out about childcare. The workers are very involved with the student’s education as well. They provide them with worksheets to complete while in the program along with making sure that the homework is complete majority of the time. As a parent I double check the homework and we review what was taught that day at school. It makes things so much easier after a day at work.
I can honestly say that I am pleased with King Elementary.