KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
The Hickman Mills C-1 School District is fighting for accreditation from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), a fight the school district has been in for over a decade.
Superintendent Dr. Yaw Obeng says the district is now on track to end the fight, with its latest improved scores.
“It’s been over 20 years since Hickman Mills has hit over 70% on the required standards,” said Obeng of the Hickman Mills C-1 School District.
In math, science, social studies, and literacy, Obeng believes that math, science, social studies, and literary, test scores will show significantly improved results, enough to meet DESE’s benchmarks.
“We believe in you, we know you can.”
That’s what Obeng says to his staff and students.
“I really want to take the time to congratulate our staff and our students on what they’ve been able to do, of course, we’d like the third party to recognize it too,” he said.
He’s talking about the state, signaling the time for the full accreditation certification.
“A long time coming,” he said.
The district claims they’ve met the same state standards that KCPS did when they were re-accredited in 2022 and again now with the state's changed framework of measurement in MSIP6.
“We were kind of cautious of what would happen,” Obeng said. “But, at the same time, we did take the tests, the scores came in, and looking at the scores, whatever metric they want to use, whether it’s the old framework, it’s the traditional MSIP guidelines, or the comScore changes, whatever combination they make, we’ve scored enough that we would meet at every standard and I hope they recognize that sooner or later.”
On Oct. 31, 2024, Obeng wrote a letter urging the state education board to vote to fully accredit the school district at the next board meeting in December.
READ | Request for Full Accreditation Vote for Hickman Mills C-1 School District
KSHB 41 News asked the DESE Communication department a number of questions and to see the latest test numbers, but we were told today that the date to release those numbers was pushed back. It’s unclear when they will be released, but the state says they’ve received the letter from the school district and they’ll take it under consideration with the board of directors.
“We’ve had to jump through the hoops, and we’ve done the work and we’ve met the grades,” he said. “It’s not a question of if, it’s when.”
If Hickman Mills were to gain accreditation it would mean all KC Metro school districts would be fully accredited, the first time in almost two decades.
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