Summary:
The city of Ferguson, Missouri is home to 7 schools serving students from elementary through high school, all part of the Ferguson-Florissant R-II school district. While the district contains a standout high school, the majority of its schools are struggling with extremely low academic performance and high rates of chronic absenteeism.
The clear standout in the district is Steam Academy at MSB High School, which consistently ranks among the top schools in the state. This high school boasts strong academic achievement, with over 40% of students proficient in Algebra II and nearly 50% proficient in Biology I. Additionally, the school has a high 4-year graduation rate of 92.3% and a low dropout rate of 3.4%. In contrast, the district's middle schools and elementary schools all have very low proficiency rates on state assessments, with most scoring well below the district and state averages.
A major concern across the district is the extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 38.7% to 99.51% - a factor that is strongly linked to poor academic performance. Furthermore, the schools serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with 98.33% to 99.51% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. While student-teacher ratios are relatively low, the district's per-student spending is below the state average, suggesting that funding may be a challenge. Addressing these systemic issues will be crucial to improving educational equity and outcomes for all students in the Ferguson community.
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