The KCMO School District

[Zorobabel]

The proposed boundaries seem different than what was announced initially. The site used to say the boundaries would be 75th street (or thereabouts) to Bush Creek, State Line Rd to Holmes. Now they've cut off a good chunk from Bush Creek to 65th and Oak to Holmes, but have included the lower income Neighborhood United for Action.

Or maybe I'm just wrong.

[FangKC]

The school district has approved reopening the currently shuttered Northeast Middle School, and Central Middle School, in 2014.

It appears the Thatcher School on Independence Avenue (on the Northeast Middle School campus) will be demolished. The district will hold community meetings to discuss Thatcher, but no viable reuse plan, or buyer, has come forth.

http://northeastnews.net/pages/?p=18809

Thatcher School

[FangKC]

Seven Oaks School, at 3711 Jackson Ave, has been sold to Seven Oaks Estates, LP, and will be repurposed into senior housing.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Schoo ... 6997978475

http://www.kcpublicschools.org//Page/783

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3711+Jac ... 64128&z=18

[brewcrew1000]

Not really sure how much momentum this will have going forward because if the organizers got in to Acadamie Lafayette they would probably just give up this initiative but it looks like there are some parents trying to start a community school in Midtown. I have noticed a lot more younger families in midtown over the years, i think keeping them in midtown will be the biggest challenge. With this midtown school im sure the boundaries would be something like Troost to State Line from 47th to 31st.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/midtowncommunityschool/

[chaglang]

There seem to be more families in Midtown than AL can handle. I think there's absolutely a market for another school, and they're probably looking to Hale-Cook as a model. Right now the choice is between enrolling at Border Star for P3, or chancing it in the AL lottery at K. We love Border Star, but the drive from Midtown to 63rd and Wornall every day is kind of a hassle.

[aknowledgeableperson]

We love Border Star, but the drive from Midtown to 63rd and Wornall every day is kind of a hassle.

One of the sacrifices one makes for children. Keep it up if you have to.

[tacitus]

Right now the choice is between enrolling at Border Star for P3, or chancing it in the AL lottery at K.

I spent some time at Foreign Language Academy, and was "generally" impressed with what I saw. If we hadn't been lucky in the AL lottery, I would have been comfortable sending my kids to FLA. Also, the LINC after-school program there (probably at Border Star too) was really well run and quite affordable. And like Border Star and AL, they (FLA) usually have more applicants than slots. All that said, I do think there's room for a midtown neighborhood school.

I have noticed a lot more younger families in midtown over the years, i think keeping them in midtown will be the biggest challenge.

Maybe anecdotal, but older folks in my neighborhood (Volker) say they haven't seen so many families since the late 60s.

[chaglang]

Thanks, I forgot about FLA. We have neighbors there and they're very happy with it. LINC is invaluable.

This spring, another neighbor figured out that we have had a new family move into our neighborhood every 2 months for the last 2+ years. Most of the kids are between 2 and 7, with a lot of families with multiple kids. It's really encouraging.

[FangKC]

Chagland, it would be interesting to get a sense where the wage-earner(s) of these families moving in are working.

Are they higher-paid employees that can afford to pay for private school, so the KCMOSD isn't causing them to turn away from buying in the central city.

For example, are they highly-paid Cerner employees, or Stowers Institute? Cerner has been expanding quickly, and pays higher salaries than the average. Some of their employees might be willing to pay for private school so they can live in the central city. Or are they physicians working at St. Luke's or KU Med?

The other thing that occurred to me is who is/are the realtor(s) bringing them into the neighborhood? The reason I bring this up is that I have been told that there are a lot of realtors who won't even take their clients to KCMO south of the river. They automatically steer them into Johnson County, or the Northland. Especially if they are coming from out of town for a job. A pro-KCMO realtor might be making a huge difference.

Learning these things might help us understand how to attract people back into central KCMO.

I understand the school issue. However, part of me wonders if some people would pay for private school even if they lived in Johnson County? Especially if they are Catholic or Jewish. So that's not so much the issue for them. It would be interesting to know.

[aknowledgeableperson]

part of me wonders if some people would pay for private school even if they lived in Johnson County?

There are many from JoCo who send their children to Catholic schools in KC and in JoCo. And don't forget the Lutheran schools and the Christian schools. And don't forget Barstow and Pembrooke Hill.

[longviewmo]

I understand the school issue. However, part of me wonders if some people would pay for private school even if they lived in Johnson County? Especially if they are Catholic or Jewish. So that's not so much the issue for them. It would be interesting to know.

According to http://www.privateschoolreview.com/coun ... unty/20091, there's over 13k in JoCo private schools. That doesn't account for people coming over from Missouri, but places like Rockhurst also pull people over from JoCo.

[chingon]

. We love Border Star, but the drive from Midtown to 63rd and Wornall every day is kind of a hassle.

I think the convenience and affordability of LINC pretty much makes up for it. Have you considered the school bus?

[brewcrew1000]

With Derrick Thomas closed it would be a perfect location for a new midtown school. Maybe AL can open that one and have it be the High School.

[chrizow]

AL is looking to open its high school in one of the Westport school buildings.

[Volker Dad]

There seem to be more families in Midtown than AL can handle. I think there's absolutely a market for another school, and they're probably looking to Hale-Cook as a model. Right now the choice is between enrolling at Border Star for P3, or chancing it in the AL lottery at K. We love Border Star, but the drive from Midtown to 63rd and Wornall every day is kind of a hassle.

We’ve got a neighbor here on Harrison with a kindergartner who just started at Border Star. PM me if you are looking for a carpooling opportunity.

[brewcrew1000]

Right now the choice is between enrolling at Border Star for P3, or chancing it in the AL lottery at K. We love Border Star, but the drive from Midtown to 63rd and Wornall every day is kind of a hassle.

I wonder how the Crossroads Arts Academy charter school is doing. Wonder if its actually a good school

[taxi]

Right now the choice is between enrolling at Border Star for P3, or chancing it in the AL lottery at K. We love Border Star, but the drive from Midtown to 63rd and Wornall every day is kind of a hassle.

I wonder how the Crossroads Arts Academy charter school is doing. Wonder if its actually a good school

I have some friends whose moved here from CA and their kid just started his second year there. They all love it.

[beautyfromashes]

I've heard rumors that Crossroads Academy and AL could merge together to have a high school. Hope it happens.

[chaglang]

I think the convenience and affordability of LINC pretty much makes up for it. Have you considered the school bus?

LINC is invaluable. Our oldest was in it all last year. But it seems like it's perpetually in danger of falling apart. Last year they announced that they didn't have the funding to take P3 or P4 students, then reversed the decision within an hour. This year they aren't taking P3 or P4 due to some codes issue with the building. So right now those kids do before/after care with one of the staff paraprofessionals. Our oldest isn't old enough yet to ride the bus.

AL is looking to open its high school in one of the Westport school buildings.

Really? I haven't heard a whisper about this from anyone I know at AL or in the repurposing world. Right now it seems like many of them go to Lincoln. It's interesting, because I know there was some pushback by parents when AL was considering buying Longan. One parent told a friend that the whole reason they sent their kid to AL was so they wouldn't have to go "over there". That's going to be an interesting internal dynamic going forward as it looks like the Longan Campus has made it much more of a Midtown school.

I LOVE to poke fun at AL because people are so damn pious about it, but it is a great asset to Midtown. I wonder if the presence of a sizable (for the midwest) population of fluent French speakers will ever play into some eco devo deals.

Chagland, it would be interesting to get a sense where the wage-earner(s) of these families moving in are working.
Are they higher-paid employees that can afford to pay for private school, so the KCMOSD isn't causing them to turn away from buying in the central city.
For example, are they highly-paid Cerner employees, or Stowers Institute? Cerner has been expanding quickly, and pays higher salaries than the average. Some of their employees might be willing to pay for private school so they can live in the central city. Or are they physicians working at St. Luke's or KU Med?

I wish I had a good answer for this. Anecdotally, we aren't getting a lot of high earning professionals, although that may well be what's going on in parts of Hyde Park. Mostly creatives who either love old neighborhoods, got priced out of somewhere else, or both. And most of them are sending their kids to public or charter schools. AL has a punk band made up of parents, for chrissakes.

The other thing that occurred to me is who is/are the realtor(s) bringing them into the neighborhood? The reason I bring this up is that I have been told that there are a lot of realtors who won't even take their clients to KCMO south of the river. They automatically steer them into Johnson County, or the Northland. Especially if they are coming from out of town for a job. A pro-KCMO realtor might be making a huge difference.

There are a few out there who specialize in urban areas and do a great job at it. It wouldn't surprise me if realtors were actively steering people away from the core (my parents' realtor tried to steer them away from a house a block from Brookside Park in 1978)... but I don't know who they are because we never see them over here. If anyone has stories about people moving to KC and being steered to the burbs, I'd love to hear them.

I understand the school issue. However, part of me wonders if some people would pay for private school even if they lived in Johnson County? Especially if they are Catholic or Jewish. So that's not so much the issue for them. It would be interesting to know.

This has always been one of my selling points for Midtown, and it makes financial sense. But I don't know many people who guided their house search that way. Most of the parochial schools have mostly abandoned the core, and I think the culture in a lot of the parishes is fairly suburban. Even Rockhurst College, which stayed in the core, isn't able to sustain St. Francis Xavier church and school.

[chaglang]

I think the convenience and affordability of LINC pretty much makes up for it. Have you considered the school bus?

LINC is invaluable. Our oldest was in it all last year. But it seems like it's perpetually in danger of falling apart. Last year they announced that they didn't have the funding to take P3 or P4 students, caused a panic among parents, then reversed the decision within an hour. This year they aren't taking P3 or P4 due to some codes issue with the building. So right now those kids do before/after care with one of the staff paraprofessionals. Our oldest isn't old enough yet to ride the bus.

AL is looking to open its high school in one of the Westport school buildings.

Really? I haven't heard a whisper about this from anyone I know at AL or in the repurposing world. Right now it seems like many of them go to Lincoln. It's interesting, because I know there was some pushback by parents when AL was considering buying Longan. One parent told a friend that the whole reason they sent their kid to AL was so they wouldn't have to go "over there". That's going to be an interesting internal dynamic going forward as it looks like the Longan Campus has made it much more of a Midtown school.

I LOVE to poke fun at AL because people are so damn pious about it, but it is a great asset to Midtown. I wonder if the presence of a sizable (for the midwest) population of fluent French speakers will ever play into some eco devo deals.

Chagland, it would be interesting to get a sense where the wage-earner(s) of these families moving in are working.
Are they higher-paid employees that can afford to pay for private school, so the KCMOSD isn't causing them to turn away from buying in the central city.
For example, are they highly-paid Cerner employees, or Stowers Institute? Cerner has been expanding quickly, and pays higher salaries than the average. Some of their employees might be willing to pay for private school so they can live in the central city. Or are they physicians working at St. Luke's or KU Med?

I wish I had a good answer for this. Anecdotally, we aren't getting a lot of high earning professionals, although that may well be what's going on in parts of Hyde Park. Mostly creatives who either love old neighborhoods, got priced out of somewhere else, or both. And most of them are sending their kids to public or charter schools. AL has a punk band made up of parents, for chrissakes.

The other thing that occurred to me is who is/are the realtor(s) bringing them into the neighborhood? The reason I bring this up is that I have been told that there are a lot of realtors who won't even take their clients to KCMO south of the river. They automatically steer them into Johnson County, or the Northland. Especially if they are coming from out of town for a job. A pro-KCMO realtor might be making a huge difference.

There are a few out there who specialize in urban areas and do a great job at it. It wouldn't surprise me if realtors were actively steering people away from the core (my parents' realtor tried to steer them away from a house a block from Brookside Park in 1978)... but I don't know who they are because we never see them over here. If anyone has stories about people moving to KC and being steered to the burbs, I'd love to hear them.

I understand the school issue. However, part of me wonders if some people would pay for private school even if they lived in Johnson County? Especially if they are Catholic or Jewish. So that's not so much the issue for them. It would be interesting to know.

This has always been one of my selling points for Midtown, and it makes financial sense. But I don't know many people who guided their house search that way. Most of the parochial schools have mostly abandoned the core, and I think the culture in a lot of the parishes is fairly suburban. Even Rockhurst College, which stayed in the core, isn't able to sustain St. Francis Xavier church and school.