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- 1. Lee's Summit West High School Community Analysis Amy Taylor - June 2010 City of Lee’s Summit Lee’s Summit West High School opened its doors in 2004 and is the newest high school in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. William B. Howard founded Lee’s Summit in 1868. At the time of its incorporation there were 100 citizens, today the city’s population is approximately 93,000. Although the recent economic downturn has slowed the city’s growth some, the city is maintaining its focus on improving the business structure. Current projects include the revitalization of downtown and the completion of Summit Fair, a 55,0000- square-foot open-air shopping center. The city has received many honors over the last several The newly built Lee’s Summit City Hall years. Including: 2008 Best Downtown Public Improvement http://www.city-data.com/forum/kansas-city/922249-lees-summit-mo.html Project, 2008's Best Place in Missouri to Raise Kids, 2009 National Digital Cities Survey WINNER, and the 2010 Missouri Arts Award for “Creative Community”. City Population th Lee’s Summit is the 6 largest city in Missouri. Based on a 2007 census estimate, over 43% of the population 25 years and older have a bachelors degree or higher, 96% has a high school diploma or higher. 64% of the households consist of married couples, whereas 10.6% are single parent homes. The population has been steadily increasing since the 1960’s but has slowed some in the last few years. As part of the revitalization of downtown, Lee’s Summit installed its first permanent piece of art “Kids at Heart.” http://downtownls.org/dlsblog/?cat=11 L e e ’s S u m m it, M is s o u ri Chart from the 2008 development Report. L o c a te d in th e S o u th e a s t o f th e K a n s a s C ity M e tro a re a in w e s te rn M is s o u ri Approximately… 9000 LS residents are over 65 years of age O c c u p ie s 6 5 .2 4 S q u a re M ile s 3000 are foreign born 46% work in management M is s o u ri’s 6 t h la rg e s t c ity in p o p u la tio n 21% earn between $50,000 to $74,999 89% Caucasian, 7% African American, 3% Asian, 1% Latino
- 2. Lee's Summit West High School Community Analysis June 2010 Stakeholders Recreational Programs According to Empowering Learners, for rich learning Lee’s Summit has an extensive Parks and Recreation environments to grow it is important that SLMS, teachers, Program. Not only do they operate the many community administrators, students, and all members of the learning parks they also run a variety of youth enrichment programs, environment collaborate (2009, p.10.) The Lee’s Summit adult education courses, and many athletic events. In a School District works diligently to make sure this 2008 Citizens Survey 84% of those surveyed were “satisfied” happens. A list of several “stakeholder” organizations is or “very satisfied” in the quality of the parks and recreation below: programs and facilities. • Partners in Education – A group of over 250 businesses that work with schools to provide a School Board connection between the business community and classrooms. The school board consists of eight members, seven of which • Citizens Advisory Committee – A group of 40 are elected for three-year terms. The eighth member is the community members who make district superintendent. Of the eight members, one has been recommendations to the Board. on the board for over ten years and two were elected in the • Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation – A non- last two years. One member is a retired LS teacher and four profit organization whose mission is to raise members currently have children who attend LS schools. private funds to support the district’s educational The board is well respected and there is little dissension initiatives. among the members. • CSIP Committee - District wide committee consisting of parents, teachers, administrators, and other community members. They write the districts school improvement goals. • TEAM Lee’s Summit – A group of teachers, administrators, and classified staff who meet regularly to provide recommendations to the board regarding staffing, salary, benefits, and working environment. Budgeting Although the LS school district is considered a premier district in the Greater Kansas City area, it spends the least amount of money per student. The community has been generous when passing bonds and levies. Since 2004 there has been six on ballots and all have passed. However, because Lee’s Summit has little major industry its tax base is small. Tax Rate $5.9347 (per $100 assessed valuation) Total Expenditure District Budget $193,161,888 (excluding bond funds) Annual operating cost per student $9,148 enrolled Teacher starting salary $33,305 Teacher average salary $51,172 Assessed valuation $1,669,005,047
- 3. Lee's Summit West High School Community Analysis June 2010 Staff This year LSWHS had 121 teachers. According to the Missouri Department of Education over 94% of the classes taught at LSWHS were taught by highly qualified teachers. Approximately two – three staff members leave each year. Other significant information: Average years of experience – 12.2 years 69% have a masters degree or higher Student/Teacher Ratio – 20 to 1 School Demographics 93% of LSWHS students graduate and over 50% enter a four-year university. Of the 1625 LSWHS students enrolled in 2009, 5.7% qualified for free and reduced lunch. A breakdown by race is below. Successes LEE'S SUMMIT WEST HIGH 2009 Lee’s Summit West has had many successes Total 1,625 academically, athletically, and in the arts. Last year, Asian 2.7% 88.6% of LSWHS students scored proficient or advanced on the Communication Arts portion of the Black 13.6% Missouri end of course exams and 75% on the Math Hispanic 2.7% portion. 78% of LSWHS students take the ACT test Indian 0.2% and 49% score at or higher than the national average. White 80.8% At least 3 students have been named National Merit Finalists over the last three years. Other important factors to consider: The school has six state championships and countless • A considerable number of LSWHS students take district, conference, and sectional championships. advanced courses Other LSWHS extracurricular groups have won • Students in extracurricular activities are usually numerous awards. Some of those groups are listed involved in more than one below. Debate • Most LSWHS students have access to the Internet • Westside Stage at home • Robotics Team • Chess Club • Cheerleading Administration • Trapmasters • FBLA The administrative staff at LSWHS consists of a principal, • Yearbook athletic/activities director, and three assistant principals. All • Newspaper hold advanced degrees. The student to principal ratio is • Broadcasting 325 to 1. The administration works with staff through a lead • And many more teachers council to develop school improvement goals and policies. All data was taken from the Missouri Department of Education Website and reflect the numbers of 2009.
- 4. Lee's Summit West High School Community Analysis June 2010 Library Services The Library Media Center must strive to meet the needs of all its patrons. Although the LSWHS population may not appear diverse, its students do have a variety of interests and needs. The media center should survey their patrons yearly to determine those interests and needs. Of the three Lee’s Summit high schools, LSWHS has the highest % of minority students. The LSWHS library collection should reflect this difference. One can infer from the data that college preparation is of great concern for LSWHS students. For this reason the Library Media Center should provide materials that will prepare the college bound student for his future endeavors. It should also provide up to date resources for the selection of a college. Also, because most LSWHS students have internet access and home and many are involved in extracurricular activities which preclude them from using the Media Center during its open hours, it is important that the Media Center provide at home access to their online resources. Because the Lee’s Summit community has such high regard for education, it is important that the media center include them in decision-making. It is also crucial that the media center inform the school stakeholders of their resources, programming, and other efforts. References City of Lee's Summit. (n.d.). City of Lee's Summit. Retrieved from http://cityofls.net/ Empowering learners: guidelines for school library media programs. (2009). Chicago, Ill: American Association of School Librarians. LEE'S SUMMIT R-‐VII -‐-‐LEE'S SUMMIT WEST HIGH 2008-‐09 School Accountability Report. (n.d.). Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved from http://dese.mo.gov/planning/profile/building/arsd0480711085 html . Statistics. (n.d.). Lee's Summit R-‐7 School District. Retrieved from http://www.leesummit.k12.mo.us/districtinfo/statistics.htm The Kansas City Election Board -‐ www.kceb.org/index.php. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kceb.org/