District History

This is a historical timeline highlighting important dates, figures, and events in a chronological fashion of the educational system in Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.

The interactive timeline includes events of historical significance related to public education in general, the county, city, and school district which are intricately intertwined into the historical fabric of this area. Events like the Common Schools Movement, Brown v. Board of Education, and No Child Left Behind legislation that impacted KCKPS and public education across the country.

The timeline captures the longevity of education in this part of the state by categorizing similar or related events into themes, eras, and topics which began years before KCKPS was officially established as a public school system. The timeline honors and highlights students, teachers, and administrators in our organization’s past. It is a lesson within itself providing an historical lens on how we weathered through the challenges of the past and a guide to how they made us all stronger in the present.

The timeline does not mention or include every school that was part of the KCKPS school system because there are far too many to mention. If you are interested in a full list of past schools, you can find them at the Kansas City, Kansas Public Library, or the Wyandotte County Historical Museum. The stories are also available in different languages through the district’s website.

The information, photos, artifacts, and videos used to produce the historical timeline were provided from several sources:

Patricia Adams – Former Assistant for Federal Programs with KCKPS
Kamiasha Tyner - Sumner High School Video
Former KCKPS Superintendent Dr. Raymond Daniels
Former School Board Member Mr. Gerald Hall
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Kansas Historical Society
Kansas State Library
SAGE Publications Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education Common Schools Movement
Strawberry Hill Museum
The Kansas Room/Collection Kansas City, Kansas Public Library
The History of Public Schools in Wyandotte County
Wyandotte County Museum and Historical Society