Public schools in Independence, MO
Independence has 36 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 3 high, 6 middle, 24 elementary, 3 other, enrolling 17,970 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Independence School District 30 runs 26 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Independence's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Independence | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence School District 30 | 26 | 14,406 | $12,302 |
| Fort Osage R-I School District | 9 | 4,846 | $12,731 |
| Blue Springs School District | 1 | 14,595 | $12,950 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
3 high schools in Independence, 4,682 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truman High | 1,720 | 18.6 | 46.6% | Independence |
| Fort Osage High | 1,545 | 17.7 | 36.1% | Fort Osage R-I |
| William Chrisman High | 1,417 | 17.0 | 57.0% | Independence |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
6 middle schools in Independence, 4,495 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle | 902 | 16.8 | 67.0% | Independence |
| Bridger Middle | 744 | 15.7 | 58.5% | Independence |
| Pioneer Ridge Middle | 731 | 14.3 | 48.2% | Independence |
| Bingham Middle | 730 | 14.6 | 62.5% | Independence |
| Fire Prairie Middle | 713 | 14.1 | 49.4% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Osage Trail Middle | 675 | 13.0 | 41.3% | Fort Osage R-I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
24 elementary schools in Independence, 8,374 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Hills Elementary | 574 | 17.6 | 47.4% | Independence |
| William Yates Elementary | 463 | 13.6 | 39.3% | Blue Springs |
| William Southern Elementary | 458 | 17.7 | 63.5% | Independence |
| Korte Elementary | 444 | 14.8 | 77.7% | Independence |
| Glendale Elementary | 417 | 13.7 | 60.0% | Independence |
| Thomas Hart Benton Elementary | 401 | 14.6 | 74.3% | Independence |
| Ott Elementary | 384 | 15.3 | 60.7% | Independence |
| Indian Trails Elementary | 365 | 13.1 | 55.3% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Santa Fe Trail Elementary | 364 | 14.6 | 60.4% | Independence |
| Blackburn Elementary | 363 | 13.7 | 35.3% | Independence |
The other 14 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John W. Luff Elementary | 362 | 14.7 | 60.5% | Independence |
| Cassell Park Elementary | 362 | 13.4 | 63.8% | Independence |
| Blue Hills Elementary | 357 | 14.0 | 35.9% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Three Trails Elementary | 328 | 14.0 | 65.9% | Independence |
| Buckner Elementary | 327 | 12.0 | 37.3% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Fairmount Elementary | 313 | 13.2 | 75.1% | Independence |
| Elm Grove Elementary | 305 | 12.2 | 56.7% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Cler-Mont Elementary | 298 | 13.5 | 52.3% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Randall Elementary | 284 | 12.7 | 77.5% | Independence |
| Spring Branch Elementary | 278 | 11.9 | 58.6% | Independence |
| Little Blue Elementary | 263 | 11.0 | 39.2% | Independence |
| Mill Creek Elementary | 250 | 14.1 | 65.2% | Independence |
| Procter Elementary | 221 | 13.5 | 72.9% | Independence |
| Bryant Elementary | 193 | 11.8 | 60.1% | Independence |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 other schools in Independence, 419 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanthorn Early Education | 180 | 12.9 | 96.1% | Independence |
| Early Childhood Ctr. | 133 | 11.3 | 41.4% | Fort Osage R-I |
| Sunshine Center | 106 | not reported | 51.9% | Independence |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Independence's public schools compare with Missouri's
The median Independence school has 14.0 students per full-time teacher, more than the Missouri median of 12.5. 86% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 48% across the state. Its median school enrolls 364 students (state 317).
| Independence | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 14.0 | 12.5 |
| Median school size (students) | 364 | 317 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 86% | 48% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 0% | 22% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 3.4% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 36 Independence schools and the 2,294 Missouri schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Independence
- Independence School District 30Runs 26 of Independence's 36 public schools and spent $12,302 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,302
- Truman High, the largest high school in Independence1,720 students in 2024-25, 18.6 per teacher.1,720
- Compare Independence School District 30 with Fort Osage R-I School DistrictIndependence's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in MissouriMissouri's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for an Independence addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Missouri
- St Louis193 schools
- Kansas City151 schools
- Springfield60 schools
- Columbia35 schools
- St Charles32 schools
- Lee's Summit30 schools
- Florissant29 schools
- St Joseph23 schools
Questions about schools in Independence
How many public schools are in Independence, MO?
36 public schools with an address in Independence were open in 2024-25: 3 high, 6 middle, 24 elementary, 3 other, enrolling 17,970 students.What is the largest high school in Independence?
Truman High, with 1,720 students in 2024-25 (Independence School District 30).Which districts run Independence's schools?
Independence School District 30 (26 schools), Fort Osage R-I School District (9 schools), Blue Springs School District (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25