KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A metro family’s decision on where to send their kids to school is part of a larger trend IN the last 20 years in Kansas City.
For Joy Smith, she and her husband wanted to give their son, Corbin Smith, the best all-around education.
Corbin, a junior at North Kansas City High School, is a student at the school's International Baccalaureate Program and a member of the high school’s track team.
"I think every aspect of this high school has impressed me," Corbin said.
His parents specifically moved into the area because of the strong school system.
"We were very cognizant in our decisions where we placed ourselves because we wanted to give our kids the best opportunity," said Joy Smith, Corbin's mother.
The Smiths are just one example of a trend in the Kansas City area during the last two decades: The number of school-aged African-American children living within the Kansas City Public Schools boundaries has dramatically dropped.
Meanwhile, some neighboring school districts are seeing an increase in black student enrollment.
"We can go all the way back to the whole desegregation era when things started to fall apart," said Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell. "We had white flight.”
Data paint clear picture
According to KCPS data reviewed by 41 Action News, whites are now the only ethnic group with school-aged children increasing in numbers within the district’s boundaries.
The same KCPS chart shows a roughly 40 percent drop in African-American children living in the district the last 20 years.
Outside of KCPS, 41 Action News Investigators obtained data that shows significant growth in black students in districts elsewhere in the Metro area.
One example is the North Kansas City School District.
41 Action News Investigators data show the NKC District had 608 black students in 1998.
Twenty years later, the district is home to 2,635 black students, more than four times the 1998 number.
The Raytown, Lee's Summit, Center and Independence School districts have also seen an increase in black students as part of their growth in the last decade.
This black flight is part of the drop in KCPS enrollment figures the last 20 years.
According to KCPS data, the district has taken a huge funding hit because of the drop in enrollment.
During the last eight years, KCPS’ net funding from Missouri dropped from roughly $44 million to an estimated $3.7 million this school year, a more than 90 percent decrease.
"We want more children to get early childhood access,” said Bedell. “In order to do that, you need money.”
While money plays a role, Bedell also says overcoming perception issues will be key in the district’s future.
Diversity is part of the future
Across the state line, the number of black students in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School district is also declining.
Kansas state records show at the end of the 2013 school year, 35 percent of the students in KCK Schools were black.
That number dropped to 29 percent at the end of the 2017 school year.
The growth in KCK Schools has been with Hispanic students, increasing from 44.4 percent of students in 2013 and 49.6 percent in 2017.
The most significant trend in KCK Schools has been a dramatic increase in the number of English Language Learners.
Five years ago, ELL students represented roughly 13 percent of students in KCK Schools. By 2017, that number had skyrocketed to more than 40 percent.
Such a diverse student population has presented similar challenges at KCPS.
Bedell says his district serves students in 60 languages.
"We understand it's a part of our school district and we've embraced it," Bedell said.
Parents just want their kids to succeed
"A lot of times, people will move their kids to areas where they know they can get the best opportunity for their kids," said William Smith, Corbin's father.
Corbin is already looking at colleges with the goal of moving toward a career in sports journalism.
But as a junior, he also knows he has work to do at North Kansas City High School.
"I like that it's challenging, as much as I complain about it," Corbin said.
