The School Board for the City of Kansas City Missouri built 39 school buildings between 1868 and 1898, a period of 30 years. It should be noted that the town of Westport did not become a part of the Kansas City school system until 1899. The annexation of Westport brought with it the schools located in that town and the Hyde Park district.

Following is a list of the schools and when they opened, either in rented buildings or as brand new school buildings. All of these are elementary schools unless noted otherwise.

Central High School            September 17, 1869
Washington School            March 1868
Humbolt School (old)          November 1868
Franklin School                  October 1869
Lincoln School                   November 1869
Benton School                   November 1870
Lathrop School                   November 1870
Morse School                     October 1870
Woodland School               November 18, 1871
Chace School                    November 1881
Karnes School                   November 1881
Switzer School                   January 1882
Sumner School                  October 1883
Attucks School                  September 1883
Phillips School                   September 1883
Martin School                     November 1884
Douglass School                November 1886
Webster School                 January 1886
Manual Training                  October 1897
Bryant School                    September 1886
Garfield School                  September 1886
Adams School                   November 1886
Garrison School                 October 1886
Madison School                 October 1886
Oakley School                   April 1887
Emerson School                September 1887
Lincoln High School           September 1887
Clay School                       April 1888
Irving School                      September 1888
Jackson School                 September 1888
Whittier School                  September 1889
Hamilton School                 January 1890
Lowell School                     February 1890
Scarritt School                   February 1890
Linwood School                  April 1890
Page School                      September 1890
Yeager School                   September 1894
Bruce School                     September 1898
Thatcher School                 1898

Within this period of time, only two high schools were built: Central High School, which opened in 1869, and Manual High School, which opened in 1897. Manual High School was a "first" in developing educational programs for students who would directly enter the world of work. Today, this is called vocational education or "School to Career."

Three architects were responsible for the design of Kansas City’s school buildings. They were Emanual Diez, William F. Hackey and Charles A. Smith. Smith designed most of the school buildings until 1936.