KCKPS Brand Standards
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Why have brand standards?
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools is an integral piece in the lives of our students, families, staff, and community. Ensuring that communication from the district is easily recognized with a standard look and feel will help those messages stand out. Our goal is to enhance KCKPS’s identity by improving consistency.
To accomplish this, we have developed resources and tools to create a distinct KCKPS brand. Please follow these standards so we can speak with one voice.
Our Name
We are Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
- When typed, there is one comma after the word “City.”
- Do not use the word “The” before Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (example: “Welcome to the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.”)
The district is also known as USD 500
The USD stands for Unified School District, and every public district in the state of Kansas has its own number.
KCKPS Abbreviation
Abbreviating Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools to KCKPS can be done in the following situations:
- In a letter, article, or other longer piece of writing, use the full name for the first reference. After that, the abbreviation is fine.
- On social media (shorter communications), the abbreviation is fine because affiliation is clearer, especially when someone clicks to view the profile.
- On printed materials, KCKPS can be used when the logo with the district name is present (and it always should be)
Our Platform and Ideals
Mission: Inspiring Excellence: Every Grownup, Every Child, Every Day.
Vision: Striving to become one of the Top 10 School Districts in the Nation.
Our Goal: Each student exits high school prepared for college and careers in a global society; at every level, performance is on track and on time for success.
Our North Star: By 2031, 100% of students who graduate will graduate with a Diploma+ endorsement, with no disparities in race or gender subgroups while meeting or exceeding the average graduation rate of the state.
Our Values
Be a Learner – We are all learners
As learners we make our work public, we study, we explore, and we expect to evolve and grow in what we know and do.
Bring Out the Best in People – Choose Excellence
We believe in the potential of every child, every grownup, and ourselves, and our actions demonstrate our belief.
Be Responsible – It’s Up to Us
We are all responsible for the success of each student, each staff member, each school, and each department.
Do the Right Thing – Five Star Service
Treat others with respect, act with integrity, and commit to teamwork and open communication.
Achieve Results that Matter – Aim High
We choose actions that focus on meaningful outcomes for our students.
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- Physical and Mental Health Supports
- Academics
- Fiscal and Facility Management
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- Social Emotional Growth
- Kindergarten Readiness
- High School Graduation
- Individual Plans of Study
- Post-Secondary Success
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- Align social-emotional supports focused on the whole child
- Expand opportunities for diverse college and technical career readiness experiences at all grades
- Empower KCKPS families and community in student success
- Attract, hire, develop, and retain KCKPS employees
- Ensure fair and equitable allocation of resources
Printable 2-sided Strategic Framework PDF
Our Logo
Our logo is the symbol that represents us. Using it consistently helps to create recognition for our district and brand.
Introducing Cappy: Our logo features “Cappy,” a graduating student reading a book. Cappy is a gender-neutral figure who represents the district’s North Star goal to have 100% of all students graduating Diploma+ by 2031.
There are two options you can choose from in a few select colors:
Vertical; in blue, black, or white
Horizontal; in blue, black, or white
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Usage Guidelines
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Let the logo breathe by keeping space around it at least equal to the height of Cappy's face.
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When used in print, the vertical logo should be a minimum of one inch in height, and the horizontal logo should be a minimum of one inch in width.
When can Cappy be used alone?
Cappy can be used without the corresponding text as a design element. When used as a design element, Cappy does not take the place of the regular logo– that should still be used. Cappy cannot be used to form a new logo. If Cappy extends past the edge of the page, it is important that it is still recognizable and not too much is cropped. If Cappy is in the background, ensure that it is transparent enough that the primary text or element has enough contrast to be read.
The district's primary color is KCKPS Blue.
KCKPS Blue
HEX: #00539B
RGB: Red 0, Green 83, Blue 155
CMYK: Cyan 100%, Magenta 68%, Yellow 0%, Black 12%
HSB: Hue 208, Saturation 100%, Brightness 61%
Lab Color: Lightness axis 34, A axis (green to red) -2, B axis (blue to yellow) -47
PANTONE: 2145 C
In addition to KCKPS Blue, there are a few other secondary colors that are available for use.
Orange
HEX: #FF9700
RGB: Red 255, Green 151, Blue 0
CMYK: Cyan 0%, Magenta 48%, Yellow 100%, Black 0%
HSB: Hue 36, Saturation 100%, Brightness 100%
Lab Color: Lightness axis 73, A axis (green to red) 34, B axis (blue to yellow) 77
Dark Blue
HEX: #00325E
RGB: Red 0, Green 50, Blue 94
CMYK: Cyan 100%, Magenta 85%, Yellow 36%, Black 28%
HSB: Hue 208, Saturation 100%, Brightness 37%
Lab Color: Lightness axis 20, A axis (green to red) -1, B axis (blue to yellow) -31
Light Blue
HEX: #98CEFF
RGB: Red 152, Green 206, Blue 255
CMYK: Cyan 36%, Magenta 9%, Yellow 0%, Black 0%
HSB: Hue 209, Saturation 40%, Brightness 100%
Lab Color: Lightness axis 80, A axis (green to red) -9, B axis (blue to yellow) -30
Faded Orange
HEX: #FFD69A
RGB: Red 255, Green 214, Blue 154
CMYK: Cyan 0%, Magenta 17%, Yellow 43%, Black 0%
HSB: Hue 36, Saturation 40%, Brightness 100%
Lab Color: Lightness axis 88, A axis (green to red) 9, B axis (blue to yellow) 35
Medium Gray
HEX: #C7C7C7
RGB: Red 199, Blue 199, Green 199
CMYD: Cyan 22%, Magenta 17%, Yellow 17%, Black 0%
HSB: Hue 0, Saturation 0%, Brightness 78%
Lab Color: Lightness axis 80, A axis (green to red) 0, B axis (blue to yellow) 0
Color Contrast Accessibility
There must be enough contrast between the colors you choose for your text, logos, or icons and the background in order to be legible and accessible to all viewers. This is determined by a program that measures color contrast and compares it to standards within the ADA Web Accessibility Standards and Requirements which our district has to follow.
The following color combinations are accessible:
KCKPS Blue + Orange (Large text and graphic components only)
KCKPS Blue + Light Blue
KCKPS Blue + Faded Orange
KCKPS Blue + Medium Gray
KCKPS Blue + White
Orange + Dark Blue
Orange + Black
Dark Blue + Light Blue
Dark Blue + Faded Orange
Dark Blue + Medium Gray
Dark Blue + White
Faded Orange + Black
Medium Gray + Black
Do not use the following combinations:
KCKPS Blue + Orange (smaller text)
KCKPS Blue + Dark Blue
KCKPS Blue + Black
Orange + Light Blue
Orange + Faded Orange
Orange + Medium Gray
Orange + White
Dark Blue + Black
Faded Orange + Medium Gray
Faded Orange + White
Medium Gray + White
Our Fonts
Our fonts have been chosen for their simplicity, style and practicality. Using consistent fonts will help people recognize that content is from the district.
Need Help Installing a Font?
Microsoft Word has a good guide on how to install fonts for both Apple and Windows computers.
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Lato is a sleek sans serif typeface that seems “transparent” when used in body text but displays some original traits when used in larger sizes. It uses classical proportions (particularly visible in the uppercase) to give the letterforms familiar harmony and elegance. The semi-rounded details of the letters give Lato a feeling of warmth, while the strong structure provides stability and seriousness. The font family has many weights (thicknesses), so your designs can still feel varied while staying in the one font family.
Lato is one of the available fonts in Google Docs, and if you want to add it to your computer for Microsoft Word or other programs, you can use the button below to download it for free.
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Nothing You Could Do is a handwriting font; it is human, it is imperfect, and it is natural. Real humans don’t write perfectly neatly, and this font creates that feeling of authenticity.
Download Nothing You Could Do from Google Fonts for Free
The point of using a decorative font (also known as a display font) is to grab attention with a really unique look. Our decorative font offers a customized look to our brand, however you should use it sparingly. Use it for headers or short phrases (on a t-shirt, for example). Do not use decorative fonts in body text as it becomes difficult to read.
Other District Logos
District Programs
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District programs such as Diploma+, Attend to Achieve, and Enough is Enough have their own unique logos. Programs may work with the Communications Department to develop a logo. New logos may not be used without approval from the Communications Department.
District Departments
Departments may not create their own logos. There is a standardized look for department logos, as shown above. If you would like a standard department logo, please reach out to the Communications team.
District School-Year Theme: Better Every Day
The theme for the 2024-2025 school year is Better Every Day: Laser Focus. Note that we are using three words and not the two-word Better Everyday, which has a slightly different meaning. It is available to download in blue and white. Do not use a similar font for other elements in your designs.
On social media, use #BetterEveryDay whenever you are showcasing examples of the district thriving and succeeding. Note that it is written all together with capital letters for each of the words.