Have you ever planned a move to a new city and had no idea which neighborhoods are safe, which schools are good? This page is intended to provide some information on the Kansas City metro area from a natives perspective.

Schools

The Kansas City School District, serves Jackson County, MO and is the large urban district of the metropolitan area. The KCSD has been involved in a long running school desegregation case dating back to 1977. During the 1980's a Federal Judge controlled the district and funnelled approximately 2 billion dollars into the district. These funds were used primarily to construct new facilities and to some extent, imporve teacher salaries. The KCSD to this day has a bloated administrative staff and continuing problems. The district has gone through 19 superintendents and recently lost it's accreditation. The State of Missouri is currently contemplating taking over the district. Private schools are really the only option for a decent education should you purchase or rent in the KCSD. One option is Pembroke Hill, near the Plaza area, or Barstow.

The Kansas City, KS school district, in Wyandotte County, is in much the same shape as the KCSD. Many problems and a lack of property tax support due to a decaying infrastructure.

Numerous public, suburban districts ring the urban core. Some examples include Park Hill, Liberty, Oak Park, North Kansas City, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit on the Missouri side of the state line. On the Kansas side, suburban districts include Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, and Olathe, all in Johnson County, KS. Johnson County, KS schools are generally percieved to offer a little better education than their suburban Missouri counterparts.

Housing

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