Paseo Academy of Performing Arts

Pros: They have a great library and the staff is very friendly. All the arts programs are well funded and award winning. The building is fairly new (opened in 1991). The halls are filled with top quality art projects. There are field trips nearly every week. Cons: There are field trips nearly every week. The core subjects suffer. Discipline at Paseo is lacking. From the principal on down the school gives students far too many chances. Teacher turnover is high. Attendance is low. Classrooms are not equipped with Smart Boards like many nearby schools have. Much of the technology they have is not being used to it s full potential. There are no sports. The custodial staff could be better managed. There is a sink in the bathroom that has been leaking for months all over the floor.
--Submitted by a teacher

Paseo does suffer from some of the organizational problems that plague all KMSD schools, but that is more than made up for by an incredible level of energy and enthusiasm for learning and creativity that is contagious. I felt perfectly prepared for college. There are lots of opportunities for driven students to live up to their best potential in math, science and English as well as the arts. However, I would not recommend Paseo for students who have no ambition and need to be pushed to succeed, because that will not happen.
--Submitted by a student

I attended Paseo and I feel that it was not a the best school! There are so many things that we as students and as teachers could change to make it better. We have no sports. So many students are missing out on scholarships and the oppurtunity on attendeding college for free and there on this whole kick about how we should focus more on our majors but they hardly even do that.
--Submitted by a student

I went to Paseo and I gained knowledge and real life problem-solving skills that will carry me the rest of my life..
--Submitted by a student

i attend paseo and i know i have a really cool school, but there are somethings i know my school could work on to make me feel even more proud about attending paseo. i dont feel that all of my teachers are here because they want to help young minds grow, but i feel they are only here to make a paycheck. we have ALOT of differen programs that are fun and educational but we dont have fieldtrips that allow us to take our learnings to a higher level, and i would love it if we did.
--Submitted by Lady Cena, a student

Yes Paseo is the school to be at. We have great academics, were learning, we have numerous extra curricular activites and it's all about the arts.
--Submitted by a student

This is a great school because of the teachers!It's hard to be an inner city school but we have some of the best programs.My daughter loves debate and Paseo has the Best debate teacher and program ever.Most of the schools in the Kansas City area don't even get to go to out of state debate competitions.Not only do our student go but out school district pays for all the cost.Last year my daughter got to go to UCLA for a two week debate camp.Something that I couldn't have afforded to do for her.Debate is only one of the many college minded programs at Paseo.Every year there is a Shakespeare's competition for theater students and countless theater productions.
--Submitted by Dannele Vasquez, a parent