Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools

Kansas City USD 500, also known as Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, is a public unified school district in Kansas City, Kansas, United States. It is the fifth largest public school system in Kansas in terms of student enrollment. It is considered a medium-sized district in the United States. As of 2023, the district has approximately 21,000 students enrolled in grades PreK & K-12. The district currently operates 5 high schools, 7 middle schools, 29 elementary schools, and 4 alternative schools, along with a number of additional educational and support facilities. The school district's 2024–2025 school year budget was $428,729,878.

The district is also the only one in the nation to fully equip all of its buildings with SafeDefend an electronic alerting system that allows officials and staff to quickly respond to a crisis. At the touch of a button, it notifies law enforcement and first responders while activating lockdown features.

KCKPS has its own police force, the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Police Department (KCKPSPD), which was established in 2014 to provide police services for the school district.

In 2022, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) faced backlash over a proposal to spend nearly $6.8 million in federal COVID relief funds on cameras in classrooms. District officials argued the cameras would help address staff shortages by livestreaming and recording lessons for classrooms with long-term substitutes or unqualified teachers. However, the proposal drew strong opposition from parents, students, and teachers, who feared it would reduce in-person learning with qualified educators and create an intrusive surveillance environment. Teachers worried that relying on video lessons could harm student progress. Additionally, KCKPS continues to struggle with staffing issues, particularly in special education, which has contributed to ongoing concerns about trust.