Genesis School making academic improvements 1 year after charter complications

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson has been reporting on Genesis School since 2023. She covers Kansas City, Missouri. Share your story idea with Alyssa.

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School bells ringing and feet shuffling through the hallways are the refreshing sounds of back-to-school for Genesis School, a charter school in Kansas City, Missouri.

Last week marked the beginning of a new school year, but Genesis is trying to prove it left old habits behind.

"We’re off and running," said Kevin Foster, executive director of Genesis School. "Last year was our strongest year of improvement."

As kids return to school, KSHB 41's Kansas City Reporter Alyssa Jackson is checking on their progress.
 

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"To see transformational progress in one year — that’s exciting," Foster said. "We are getting good at providing strong interventions for kids who are behind."

Standardized test results from 2025 show Genesis School's Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics increased by 9%.

20.3% of students are proficient in ELA, and 23.8% are proficient in math.

Proficiency is based on the percentage of students by grade level who master content.

Despite improvement, the school’s recent MAP scores haven’t met the state’s benchmark of 50% proficiency in those areas.

"We want to close the achievement gap," Foster said. "To see those students grow and get closer and closer to grade level and go to high school and access high school curriculum and truly change the trajectory they're on."

For a few years, Genesis' ability to serve kids as Kansas City's oldest charter school was in limbo.

The school's charter was revoked in 2022. It won it back through a legal challenge.

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In 2024, parents and the community showed up to a public hearing in another attempt to save the school’s charter. Genesis lost its charter sponsor at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

Saint Louis University became the new sponsor weeks before the following school year started.

"Choice should be something these parents are afforded," Foster said.

Tasha Evans-Parker, a third-grade teacher for Genesis School, said they've set higher expectations.

"As a pattern, I see a lot of kids with trauma, learning disabilities, kids who are low…we have a lot of support," she said.

She attributes Genesis' progress to the students and the staff.

"Kids are starting to put more work into their learning experiences," Evans-Parker said. "We’re actually doing something — we’re making a positive change, we’re building as a community in this school."
 
Ultimately, Genesis isn’t aiming to be the same school fighting for its charter. It's working to prove it's better.

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