Platte County School District going breakup?

[bhunt95]

Visiting some family in Platte City today. They were talking about some parents in the southern part of the school district (South of 435 to North of Barry road and between Clay County line and East of Tiffany Springs) want to break away from Platte County and have NKC School District takeover the elementary school & Barry Middle School and have it feed into Staley.

Guess they want their own high school but PC saying the high school in Platte City can handle any future increase in enrollment. They are complaining that it takes 20-30 minutes to travel to Platte City and Staley only 5-10 minutes away if they won't build a 2nd PC high school.

Another issue they bitching about is culture clash in 9th grade. You got upper middle class suburban kids and hillbilly tobacco growing farm kids meeting for 1st time and some bullying going on.

Anybody know what portion of Platte County High School comes from this area? My guess with all the building of neighborhoods in that area last 10 years could be 25% to 50%.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

I've never understood why the Platte County school district extends so far south. It is even south of Barry Rd near 169.

But isn't Park Hill HS closer than Staley HS for some of this area? For "fun" I checked how far the QT at Barry and 169 is from PH (3.9 miles) and Staley (5.7 miles). Just a little better than to Platte County HS (14.3 miles).

District Map

 

[anon_utvqikut1knht]

Visiting some family in Platte City today. They were talking about some parents in the southern part of the school district (South of 435 to North of Barry road and between Clay County line and East of Tiffany Springs) want to break away from Platte County and have NKC School District takeover the elementary school & Barry Middle School and have it feed into Staley.

Guess they want their own high school but PC saying the high school in Platte City can handle any future increase in enrollment. They are complaining that it takes 20-30 minutes to travel to Platte City and Staley only 5-10 minutes away if they won't build a 2nd PC high school.

Another issue they bitching about is culture clash in 9th grade. You got upper middle class suburban kids and hillbilly tobacco growing farm kids meeting for 1st time and some bullying going on.

Anybody know what portion of Platte County High School comes from this area? My guess with all the building of neighborhoods in that area last 10 years could be 25% to 50%.

I remember this whole deal from my now 96 year old grandmother who, along with Aunt/Uncle and several cousins, lives in Barry Heights. The neighborhood association voted to send their kids to Platte County school district because they felt Park Hill was not safe enough (drugs etc.). Her words circa 1976 not mine.

 

[HomeyR]

I've never understood why the Platte County school district extends so far south. It is even south of Barry Rd near 169.

But isn't Park Hill HS closer than Staley HS for some of this area? For "fun" I checked how far the QT at Barry and 169 is from PH (3.9 miles) and Staley (5.7 miles). Just a little better than to Platte County HS (14.3 miles).

District Map

I thought that the area along Barry Rd. west of 169 had the option of sending their kids to either the Park Hill or Platte Co. school district. I do believe that was the case at one time. I'm not sure what the deal is now.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

For "fun" I checked how far the QT at Barry and 169 is from PH (3.9 miles) and Staley (5.7 miles). Just a little better than to Platte County HS (14.3 miles).

Here's a few more high schools. I think they have a valid complaint just based on travel time.

Oak Park 2.2 miles
Park Hill 3.9 miles
Staley 5.7 miles
St Pius 7 miles
Park Hill South 8.1 miles
North Kansas City 8.2 miles
Smithville 9.6 miles
Liberty 9.8 miles
Winnetonka 10 miles
Sumner (KS) 12.4 miles
Liberty North 12.6 miles
Bishop Ward (KS) 13.6 miles
Northeast 13.7 miles
Platte County 14.3 miles

 

[bhunt95]

My bet is just a few suburban helicopter parents raising a stink that their fragile "johnny" is being bullied by "Billy Bob jr" from the country.

 

[eastbucdawgs]

Wasn't metro north mall in the PC school District?

 

[HomeyR]

Wasn't metro north mall in the PC school District?

True... but the mall was on the east side of 169.

 

[bhunt95]

Here's a few more high schools. I think they have a valid complaint just based on travel time.

Oak Park 2.2 miles
Park Hill 3.9 miles
Staley 5.7 miles
St Pius 7 miles
Park Hill South 8.1 miles
North Kansas City 8.2 miles
Smithville 9.6 miles
Liberty 9.8 miles
Winnetonka 10 miles
Sumner (KS) 12.4 miles
Liberty North 12.6 miles
Bishop Ward (KS) 13.6 miles
Northeast 13.7 miles
Platte County 14.3 miles

Some of the schools are the wrong color for people living in million dollar homes...

 

[Mike*Honcho]

Some of the schools are the wrong color for people living in million dollar homes...

Sadly, many would agree with you.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

My bet is just a few suburban helicopter parents raising a stink that their fragile "johnny" is being bullied by "Billy Bob jr" from the country.

This case probably is but the issue has been brought up numerous times over the years and as the area grows then PC will have to build another high school or they will leave for NKCSD. One possible holdup to not switching districts is likely many would not go to Staley but would go to Oak Park instead.

 

[HomeyR]

This case probably is but the issue has been brought up numerous times over the years and as the area grows then PC will have to build another high school or they will leave for NKCSD. One possible holdup to not switching districts is likely many would not go to Staley but would go to Oak Park instead.

The southern boundary for Staley is 152. They would be in the Oak Park attendance area as it stands now.

 

[bhunt95]

Found current attendance of Barry Middle School. 406 kids so would assume the high school would be close to that. Maybe little more because of kids at private Catholic elementary schools that go through 8th grade.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

I believe Barry School is grades 5-8. But I would love to see a Barry High School. My family goes way back in the area. I have a 4th great grandfather buried in Barry Cemetery. It would be nice to see a school named after the old town.

 

[bhunt95]

I believe Barry School is grades 5-8. But I would love to see a Barry High School. My family goes way back in the area. I have a 4th great grandfather buried in Barry Cemetery. It would be nice to see a school named after the old town.

Yeah my dad side of family has owned land east of Platte City since before Civil War. They grew tobacco. (and still do) There was an old wagon trail that went by their land. They could travel west and sell their crop at Weston or head southeast to Independence. The trading outpost called Barry was on this trail where they bought or traded for thier supplies my great grandfather use to tell stories how it use to be.

 

[Missouri Kid]

I guess I didn't realize it was that easy to get out of a school district once you were in it.

 

[bhunt95]

I guess I didn't realize it was that easy to get out of a school district once you were in it.

I'm sure it would have to be voted on by citizens of the school district. But in fact would be difficult to change.

 

[Missouri Kid]

I'm sure it would have to be voted on by citizens of the school district. But in fact would be difficult to change.

Okay, thanks, that kind of confirms what I was guessing. I doubt if many would voters would want to give up the tax base for their district.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

I guess I didn't realize it was that easy to get out of a school district once you were in it.

Van Horn switched from KCMOSD to Independence SD a "few" years back. KCMOSD did not consent but lost in court.

 

[J. Kane]

 

[Fort80]

Interesting they should want Staley with Oak Park only 2.2 miles away.

 

[JNreturns]

PC is an oddball district...covering a "Gerrymandered" swath of territory. Not surprising that natural tribal differences would arise. The peninsula to the lower right between Smithville, and above Park Hill is the really oddball area. They have Oak Park and Staley within a couple miles.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrT6Vvptwlan4UA.xIPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByNWU4cGh1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=platte+county+school+district+map&fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt#id=1&iurl=http://northlandschools.com/images/map.jpg&action=click

 

[Eagles_Ball]

I believe Barry School is grades 5-8. But I would love to see a Barry High School. My family goes way back in the area. I have a 4th great grandfather buried in Barry Cemetery. It would be nice to see a school named after the old town.

Pretty cool info from you guys on the area. I've enjoyed reading this. Took a job with Commerce Bank in downtown KC right out of college in '99. Lived at The Lakes right north of where Zona Rosa is now. Loved that area then. Hadn't been back in over 10 yrs and drove through there a couple years ago. Holy smokes, that place has exploded!

 

[bhunt95]

Pretty cool info from you guys on the area. I've enjoyed reading this. Took a job with Commerce Bank in downtown KC right out of college in '99. Lived at The Lakes right north of where Zona Rosa is now. Loved that area then. Hadn't been back in over 10 yrs and drove through there a couple years ago. Holy smokes, that place has exploded!

Yeah use to hear some interested stories. Bonnie and Clyde shootout with police at the Red Tavern and james gang robberies in area.

 

[HomeyR]

Pretty cool info from you guys on the area. I've enjoyed reading this. Took a job with Commerce Bank in downtown KC right out of college in '99. Lived at The Lakes right north of where Zona Rosa is now. Loved that area then. Hadn't been back in over 10 yrs and drove through there a couple years ago. Holy smokes, that place has exploded!

The projections for growth in Platte County over the next 10 years are staggering for both residential and commercial. I know people involved in real estate that are "licking their chops."

 

[bhunt95]

The projections for growth in Platte County over the next 10 years are staggering for both residential and commercial. I know people involved in real estate that are "licking their chops."

New Billion Airport helps too.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

New Billion Airport helps too.

This makes me both happy and sad. Need a new airport, but dang, I liked it 15-20 yrs ago there. Could drive right up, park, and be on a plane all under an hour. There literally was never any traffic there.

 

[sw5890]

School district boundaries often look odd and gerymandered at a glance. However they sometimes make sense when put into a historical context. Can't speak for the KC northland, but as an example around here, parts of Carthage R9 are actually closer to WC and maybe even CJ. That is because an old school in Brooklyn Heighs (a few miles west of Carthage) used to be independent district but was eventually absorbed by Carthage even though the far western fringes were pretty distant from Carthage. Webb City is a very odd L shape because it used to be limited to the town of Webb City, but annexed Alba to the north, and Carterville and the old Perseverance schools to the east/southeast. Some of those areas are closer to Carthage or Joplin and some areas of WC schools have Jasper addresses. CJ has areas that on a map look like it should be Joplin or maybe Jasper. South parts of Joplin are in Seneca and Neosho schools. I don't know the specifics on those, but might be as simple as the fact that Joplin probably didn't extend into Newton County back when the boundaries were established.

In Platte county, that area has grown tremendously over 20 years so I'm sure there are some interesting explanations there.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

Yeah my dad side of family has owned land east of Platte City since before Civil War. They grew tobacco. (and still do) There was an old wagon trail that went by their land. They could travel west and sell their crop at Weston or head southeast to Independence. The trading outpost called Barry was on this trail where they bought or traded for thier supplies my great grandfather use to tell stories how it use to be.

You probably already know the history of the area (but for others that do not), this section of NWMO was not originally part of Missouri. The Platte Purchase (see red counties in the map below) was made in 1836 and settlers were allowed access in 1839.

My ancestors were in Platte County in the 1840 U.S. Census and were original landowners. You can search this website to find land records from this area. The General Land Office that made the sales for Platte County was in Plattsburg and original landowners most likely officially purchased the land in the early to mid 1840s, just to help narrow down your search (which is very necessary when you have ancestors like mine with common names like John Barnes or John Rogers).

While I said my 4th great grandfather is buried in Barry Cemetery, I'm not sure that is the case. He does have a headstone in the cemetery but I believe he was likely buried in one of the cemeteries that are inside of KCI Airport. Many of the headstones were moved to neighboring cemeteries but the graves were not moved.

I found some great stories on my ancestors in circuit court records from the area. They loved to fight and sue each other back then. And the depositions they gave describing conflicts with their neighbors were hilarious. My 3rd great grandfather was involved in 6 cases just in the short time he lived there (1839-1846).

 

[Missouri Kid]

You probably already know the history of the area (but for others that do not), this section of NWMO was not originally part of Missouri. The Platte Purchase (see red counties in the map below) was made in 1836 and settlers were allowed access in 1839.

My ancestors were in Platte County in the 1840 U.S. Census and were original landowners. You can search this website to find land records from this area. The General Land Office that made the sales for Platte County was in Plattsburg and original landowners most likely officially purchased the land in the early to mid 1840s, just to help narrow down your search (which is very necessary when you have ancestors like mine with common names like John Barnes or John Rogers).

While I said my 4th great grandfather is buried in Barry Cemetery, I'm not sure that is the case. He does have a headstone in the cemetery but I believe he was likely buried in one of the cemeteries that are inside of KCI Airport. Many of the headstones were moved to neighboring cemeteries but the graves were not moved.

I found some great stories on my ancestors in circuit court records from the area. They loved to fight and sue each other back then. And the depositions they gave describing conflicts with their neighbors were hilarious. My 3rd great grandfather was involved in 6 cases just in the short time he lived there (1839-1846).

Those old court records are hilarious, hand written and full of detail and totally transparent. (As opposed to today's sanitized and plasticized versions.)
Down here in the Ozarks I had an ancestor who was a lumberjack by day but evidently a notorious bootlegger by night back during prohibition days. He must have been good at his craft but not good at evading the law. His first offense for "runnin shine" (so writtten in the records) resulted in a fine of $5, a fairly significant sum in those days. Progressively he was fined $10, $15, $20 and finally, the patience of the judge being exhausted, the docket entry read. "...fined $25 for runnin shine and all fruit jars ordered confiscated."
I love to bring that out at family reunions to exhibit our family roots.

 

[Mike*Honcho]

My wife has an ancestor with a bio in The History of Daviess County which says "His first wife died young in childbirth." Ummmmmm, no she didn't. He caught her sleeping with his brother. I have the 1860s divorce records where he calls her a "common strumpet".

 

[greenergrass]

Why not split it at the Winan Hwy "O". I think that is the hwy? Now make it Barry High School to the east. Done. I win the lottery, I'll build it.