Blades Elementary

Summary:

Blades Elementary is a public elementary school in Saint Louis, Missouri, serving 430 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Mehlville R-Ix school district, which is ranked 123 out of 376 districts in the state.

Blades Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (82.09%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 65.72% to 88.50% white students. However, the school's test scores are generally lower than the district and state averages, with only 28.6% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in Math, compared to 43.3% for the district and 41.1% for the state. Blades also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (30.23%) than surrounding schools, which range from 8.1% to 52.65%. Despite these challenges, Blades Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.7, which is comparable to nearby schools.

Blades Elementary's performance lags behind several of the nearby high-performing schools, such as Mosaic Elementary and Point Elementary, which have significantly higher test scores and overall rankings. While Blades performs well for its special education students, it struggles with its low socioeconomic status students, ranking 544th out of 611 Missouri elementary schools in this category. Additionally, Blades Elementary's statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, indicating a potential need for improvement.


Detail:

Public K-5

 5140 Patterson Rd
       Saint Louis, MO  63129-2442


(314) 467-7300

District: Mehlville R-Ix

SchoolDigger Rank:
510th of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,166 Help


Students who attend Blades Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Bernard Middle
High:    Oakville Senior High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  430

Racial breakdown:

White:
82.1%
African American:
7.4%
Hispanic:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  30.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Blades Elementary ranks worse than 56.8% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 7th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Mehlville R-Ix School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44.99. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (82.1%), African American (7.4%), Hispanic (5.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 30.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Blades Elementary is 13.7. 5 elementary schools in the Mehlville R-Ix School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Blades Elementary employs 31.2 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blades Elementary is $9,166, which is the lowest among 11 elementary schools in the Mehlville R-Ix School District!
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Blades Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Blades Elementary 510th of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Blades Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:


Mehlville R-Ix:

SchoolDigger ranks Mehlville R-Ix 123rd of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Blades Elementary.

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Rank History for Blades Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Blades Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 79.43 135th 1074 87.4%
2007 77.18 155th 1080 85.6%
2008 68.23 269th 1084 75.2%
2009 65.76 303rd 1053 71.2%
2010 61.63 383rd 1066 64.1%
2011 53.06 560th 1088 48.5%
2012 51.44 591st 1085 45.5%
2013 53.90 528th 1108 52.3%
2014 47.58 616th 1089 43.4%
2015 45.53 624th 1058 41.0%
2016 53.41 445th 865 48.6%
2017 41.78 636th 1032 38.4%
2018 26.61 816th 1045 21.9%
2019 55.26 454th 1052 56.8%
2021 63.58 325th 901 63.9%
2022 45.18 505th 908 44.4%
2023 44.99 510th 898 43.2%
See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Blades Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 40.92 32nd 52 38.5%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Blades Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 62.31 23rd 107 78.5%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Blades Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 20.57 781st 887 12.0%
2019 21.06 808th 907 10.9%
2023 19.07 544th 611 11.0%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Blades Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 38.09 172nd 251 31.5%
2019 57.87 134th 302 55.6%
2022 84.82 4th 103 96.1%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for White students at Blades Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.16 785th 898 12.6%
2019 48.49 452nd 917 50.7%
2021 54.54 304th 691 56.0%
2022 35.16 465th 675 31.1%
2023 30.58 488th 673 27.5%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Blades Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Open Quote Amazing staff! Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, May 3, 2019

Open Quote My family has been at Blades for years. We love the staff. They really care for their students. The principal is amazing. All three of my boys have made their grade school journey at Blades. We have made many friends along the way. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Blades Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 674 674
1992 642 81 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 736
1993 665 72 8 7 1 n/a n/a 0 753
1994 638 68 10 8 1 n/a n/a 0 725
1995 613 75 5 3 4 n/a n/a 0 700
1996 613 75 5 3 4 n/a n/a 0 700
1997 573 73 3 3 3 n/a n/a 0 655
1998 586 70 4 2 3 n/a n/a 0 665
1999 572 61 9 3 2 n/a n/a 0 647
2000 548 71 12 4 1 n/a n/a 0 636
2001 537 82 14 3 1 n/a n/a 0 637
2002 484 63 12 0 3 n/a n/a 0 562
2003 484 63 12 0 3 n/a n/a 0 562
2004 451 54 24 2 4 n/a n/a 0 535
2005 476 70 18 4 0 n/a n/a 0 568
2006 448 52 15 3 0 n/a n/a 0 518
2007 455 39 18 3 0 n/a n/a 0 515
2008 444 42 15 4 0 n/a n/a 0 505
2009 439 38 19 11 0 n/a n/a 0 507
2010 441 36 16 14 0 n/a n/a 0 507
2011 425 27 16 25 0 1 15 0 509
2012 415 31 17 26 0 2 21 0 512
2013 411 16 20 25 0 1 16 0 489
2014 418 47 17 24 0 1 17 0 524
2015 414 46 16 23 0 1 16 0 516
2016 407 49 14 19 0 2 17 0 508
2017 410 56 9 23 0 2 20 0 520
2018 412 38 6 26 0 0 15 0 497
2019 387 33 6 17 0 0 20 0 463
2020 376 24 6 17 0 1 16 0 440
2021 347 26 5 14 0 1 16 0 409
2022 437 54 16 20 0 1 20 0 548
2023 353 32 7 22 0 0 16 0 430

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Blades Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 674 31.7 21.2 n/a
1992 736 31.7 23.2 11
1993 753 33.6 22.4 16.9
1994 725 34.3 21.1 16.8
1995 700 31.1 22.5 11.6
1996 700 31.1 22.5 11.6
1997 655 31.9 20.5 14.4
1998 665 32.8 20.3 13.7
1999 647 32.4 20.0 2
2000 636 31.9 19.9 13.5
2001 637 33.1 19.2 16.5
2002 562 30.7 18.3 6.2
2003 562 30.7 18.3 6.2
2004 535 29.2 18.3 9
2005 568 29.3 19.4 9.5
2006 518 29.4 17.6 10.6
2007 515 28.3 18.2 9.1
2008 505 28.3 17.8 11.5
2009 507 30.0 16.9 12.8
2010 507 30.7 16.5 16.8
2011 509 31.2 16.2 11
2012 512 30.7 16.6 16.4
2013 489 30.3 16.1 16.4
2014 524 31.3 16.7 26.9
2015 516 31.0 16.6 24.6
2016 508 30.0 16.9 22.2
2017 520 32.1 16.1 28.8
2018 497 32.7 15.1 29.8
2019 463 31.1 14.8 23.5
2020 440 32.5 13.5 20.9
2021 409 31.6 12.9 24.4
2022 548 39.5 13.8 26.1
2023 430 31.2 13.7 30.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Blades Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 674 31.7 21.2 n/a
1992 736 31.7 23.2 11
1993 753 33.6 22.4 16.9
1994 725 34.3 21.1 16.8
1995 700 31.1 22.5 11.6
1996 700 31.1 22.5 11.6
1997 655 31.9 20.5 14.4
1998 665 32.8 20.3 13.7
1999 647 32.4 20.0 2
2000 636 31.9 19.9 13.5
2001 637 33.1 19.2 16.5
2002 562 30.7 18.3 6.2
2003 562 30.7 18.3 6.2
2004 535 29.2 18.3 9
2005 568 29.3 19.4 9.5
2006 518 29.4 17.6 10.6
2007 515 28.3 18.2 9.1
2008 505 28.3 17.8 11.5
2009 507 30.0 16.9 12.8
2010 507 30.7 16.5 16.8
2011 509 31.2 16.2 11
2012 512 30.7 16.6 16.4
2013 489 30.3 16.1 16.4
2014 524 31.3 16.7 26.9
2015 516 31.0 16.6 24.6
2016 508 30.0 16.9 22.2
2017 520 32.1 16.1 28.8
2018 497 32.7 15.1 29.8
2019 463 31.1 14.8 23.5
2020 440 32.5 13.5 20.9
2021 409 31.6 12.9 24.4
2022 548 39.5 13.8 26.1
2023 430 31.2 13.7 30.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Blades Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $36 (0.4%) $9,484 (99.6%) $9,520
2020 $42 (0.4%) $9,468 (99.6%) $9,510
2021 $227 (2.3%) $9,684 (97.7%) $9,911
2022 $453 (4.9%) $8,713 (95.1%) $9,166

Data source: Missouri Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Blades Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 454th of 1052 Elementary schoolsRanks 510th of 898 Elementary schools
 13.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Blades Elementary)51.328.6
 22.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Mehlville R-Ix)47.843.3
 4.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)4641.1
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Blades Elementary)44.948.6
 3.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mehlville R-Ix)50.948
 2.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)48.742.4
 6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Blades Elementary)50.535.4
 15.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Mehlville R-Ix)49.847.5
 2.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)46.843.8
 3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Blades Elementary)55.240
 15.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Mehlville R-Ix)49.352.8
 3.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)49.345.9
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Blades Elementary)40.831.9
 8.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Mehlville R-Ix)4535.5
 9.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)40.339.1
 1.2%
5th Grade Science (Blades Elementary)44.934.7
 10.2%
   5th Grade Science (Mehlville R-Ix)49.942.7
 7.2%
   5th Grade Science (Missouri)42.540.9
 1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Blades Elementary)46.941.6
 5.3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Mehlville R-Ix)52.748.8
 3.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)47.144.1
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students463430
 7.1%
African American3332
 3%
American Indian00
Asian67
 16.7%
Hispanic1722
 29.4%
Pacific Islander00
White387353
 8.8%
Two or More Races2016
 20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients23.5%30.2%
 6.7%


Schools Near Blades Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Blades Elementary

Students at Blades Elementary are 82% White, 7% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 430 students attended Blades Elementary.

Students who attend Blades Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bernard Middle
High : Oakville Senior High

Blades Elementary ranks 510th of 898 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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