Kearney R-I School District
Kearney, Missouri · Clay County · Grades Pre-K–12
Kearney R-I School District runs 9 schools (5 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 1 pre-k) with 3,424 students. By enrollment it is the 64th largest of 556 districts in Missouri, where the median district has 566 students. NCES classifies its area as town, fringe.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank compares the 556 Missouri districts listed on this site.
District at a glance
| Schools | 9 |
| Students | 3,424 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 251.4 |
| Students per teacher | 13.6 (state 12.8) |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 17% (state 49.2%) |
| County | Clay County |
| Area type | Town, fringe |
| NCES district ID | 2916450 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, totals of the district's schools. Students per teacher = students ÷ full-time-equivalent teachers.
Schools in Kearney R-I
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dogwood Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 463 | 14.3 | 17.7% |
| Hawthorne Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 264 | 12.9 | 8.3% |
| Kearney Early Education Center | Pre-K | Pre-K | 44 | 6.1 | 38.6% |
| Kearney Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 223 | 11.5 | 32.3% |
| Kearney High School | High | 10–12 | 814 | 14.2 | 12.8% |
| Kearney Junior High School | High | 8–9 | 510 | 13.3 | 19% |
| Kearney Middle School | Middle | 6–7 | 591 | 14.9 | 16.9% |
| Lens | Elementary | 4–5 | 60 | 13.5 | 20% |
| Southview Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 455 | 14.2 | 16.7% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25.
Map of Kearney R-I schools
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Kearney R-I in context
Size
Kearney R-I School District enrolls 0.4% of Missouri's 885,129 public school students and is larger than the median district (566 students). The largest of its schools is Kearney High School with 814 students, and the smallest is Kearney Early Education Center with 44; the average is 380, against 386 statewide.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment. Share = district students ÷ all students in Missouri schools listed here; averages = students ÷ schools.
Grades
Its largest grade this year is grade 6, with 296 students. Grade 12 has 250 students and kindergarten has 234, within 10% of each other. Kearney R-I enrolls 44 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade, all schools in the district.
Students
White students are the largest group in Kearney R-I at 89.6%, above their 66.9% share of Missouri public school students. Hispanic students make up 5.3%.
17% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 49.2% statewide. By school, the share runs from 8.3% at Hawthorne Elementary School to 38.6% at Kearney Early Education Center.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District and state shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Staff
Its 251.4 full-time-equivalent teachers work out to 13.6 students per teacher, close to the state's 12.8. With 11 counselors it has 311 students per counselor; the median Missouri district has 265, and the American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250. It reports 7 librarians or media specialists.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file (full-time equivalents). Students per counselor = district students ÷ counselors. Benchmark: American School Counselor Association, 250 students per counselor.
Location
Kearney R-I is based in a town no more than 10 miles from an urbanized area, an area NCES calls town, fringe. The nearest district is Excelsior Springs 40 School District, 7.1 miles away with 2,661 students. 36 districts are within 25 miles, and 9 of them enroll more students than Kearney R-I. Clay County has 6 districts on this site.
Source: NCES EDGE locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines between the average locations of each district's schools.
Staff
| Role | Full-time equivalent | Students per staff member |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers | 251.4 | 14 |
| School counselors | 11 | 311 |
| Librarians and media specialists | 7 | 489 |
| School psychologists | 0 | – |
| Instructional aides | 74.8 | 46 |
| Other student support staff | 26.2 | 131 |
| School administrators | 13 | 263 |
| District administrators | 3 | 1,141 |
| All staff | 474.9 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file. Students per staff member = district students ÷ full-time-equivalent staff in that role. The median Missouri district has 265 students per counselor.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 89.6% |
| Hispanic | 5.3% |
| Two or more races | 3.8% |
| Black | 0.8% |
| Asian | 0.3% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership, all schools in the district.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 44 |
| Kindergarten | 234 |
| Grade 1 | 253 |
| Grade 2 | 219 |
| Grade 3 | 240 |
| Grade 4 | 251 |
| Grade 5 | 268 |
| Grade 6 | 296 |
| Grade 7 | 295 |
| Grade 8 | 273 |
| Grade 9 | 237 |
| Grade 10 | 280 |
| Grade 11 | 284 |
| Grade 12 | 250 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Nearby school districts
| District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Calendar 2026–2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excelsior Springs 40 School District | 7 mi | 2,661 | 13.8 | – |
| Missouri City 56 School District | 9 mi | 14 | 4.2 | – |
| Liberty 53 School District | 9 mi | 11,826 | 13.8 | – |
| Lawson R-XIV School District | 10 mi | 1,143 | 13.9 | – |
| Smithville R-II School District | 12 mi | 2,514 | 14 | – |
| Lathrop R-II School District | 13 mi | 871 | 11.8 | – |
| North Kansas City 74 School District | 14 mi | 21,252 | 14.1 | – |
| Clinton County R-III School District | 15 mi | 698 | 11.3 | – |
Distance between the average locations of each district's schools (NCES EDGE).
Other school districts in Clay County
- North Kansas City 74 School District (21,252 students)
- Liberty 53 School District (11,826 students)
- Excelsior Springs 40 School District (2,661 students)
- Smithville R-II School District (2,514 students)
- Missouri City 56 School District (14 students)
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, county of each district's office.
Contact
425 W Washington St, Kearney, MO 64060
Phone: (816)628-4116
Website: ksdr1.net
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory.