Is Highland Elementary a good school?

Highland Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.8% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend Highland Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 274 students attended Highland Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Elementary?

Students at Highland Elementary are 95% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Highland Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : R. G. Central Middle High : Riverview Gardens Senior High

Highland Elementary

Summary:

Highland Elementary is a public elementary school in Saint Louis, Missouri, serving 274 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Riverview Gardens School District, which is ranked 374 out of 376 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating.

Highland Elementary stands out for several key reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (95.26%) compared to surrounding schools and the state average. Academically, the school consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Missouri, with proficiency rates well below the Riverview Gardens district and state averages. For example, in the 2022-2023 school year, only 2.1% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the district average of 3.8% and the Missouri state average of 39.1%. Additionally, over 98% of Highland Elementary students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

While Highland Elementary spends slightly more per student than nearby schools like Meadows Elementary and Grannemann Elementary, its academic performance remains consistently low, ranking in the bottom 10% of schools statewide. This suggests the school is facing significant challenges in providing a quality education to its predominantly African American and economically disadvantaged student population, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and support to address the persistent racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps.

Detail:

Public K-5

174 Shepley Dr
Saint Louis, MO 63137-4220

(314) 868-4561

District: Riverview Gardens

SchoolDigger Rank:
882^nd of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,987

Students who attend Highland Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	R. G. Central Middle
High:	Riverview Gardens Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 18.2

Number of students: 274

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.3%

Hispanic:

2.6%

White:

2.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.9%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Highland Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Highland Elementary ranks worse than 98.2% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 3^rd among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Riverview Gardens School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.28. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (95.3%), Hispanic (2.6%), White (2.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Highland Elementary is 18.2, which is the 3^rd best among 8 elementary schools in the Riverview Gardens School District. (See more...)

Compare Highland Elementary employs 15 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Highland Elementary is $9,987. 4 elementary schools in the Riverview Gardens School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Highland Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Highland Elementary 882^nd of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Highland Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

Riverview Gardens:

SchoolDigger ranks Riverview Gardens 374^th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Highland Elementary.

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Your rating for Highland Elementary?

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Rank History for Highland Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Highland Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	24.79	929^th	1074	13.5%
2007	20.20	977^th	1080	9.5%
2008	18.13	991^st	1084	8.6%
2009	10.20	995^th	1053	5.5%
2010	5.44	1036^th	1066	2.8%
2011	6.39	1051^st	1088	3.4%
2012	5.27	1044^th	1085	3.8%
2013	3.93	1078^th	1108	2.7%
2014	5.23	1050^th	1089	3.6%
2015	2.81	1047^th	1058	1.0%
2016	2.85	851^st	865	1.6%
2017	2.88	1007^th	1032	2.4%
2018	7.80	981^st	1045	6.1%
2019	4.25	1019^th	1052	3.1%
2022	2.62	908^th	908	0.0%
2023	4.28	882^nd	898	1.8%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	15.77	818^th	887	7.8%
2019	9.37	873^rd	907	3.7%
2022	6.84	532^nd	532	0.0%
2023	10.18	595^th	611	2.6%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Highland Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.84	202^nd	251	19.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for African American students at Highland Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	29.93	182^nd	243	25.1%
2019	24.17	202^nd	250	19.2%
2023	21.09	164^th	185	11.4%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for African American 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.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, December 27, 2013

My children attend Highland Elementary School, and I feel they are in an organized and safe school. The teachers set high expectations for the students because they are committed to delivering a quality education. My fourth grader’s teacher is constantly setting goals for the students, testing, teaching and sharing the results with my child and I. We review the results together and come up with creative and nurturing methods to extend and improve my child’s learning. I am pleased with the education that my children are receiving at Highland Elementary School. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Highland Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	360	360
1992	166	114	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	280
1993	184	136	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	320
1994	209	129	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	338
1995	243	101	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
1996	243	101	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	344
1997	239	103	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	342
1998	228	118	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	346
1999	220	119	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
2000	169	166	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	338
2001	170	318	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	490
2002	91	374	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	467
2003	91	374	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	467
2004	68	416	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	488
2005	55	447	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	505
2006	38	445	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	485
2007	26	440	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	471
2008	20	403	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	425
2009	19	393	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	419
2010	6	378	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	390
2011	6	341	3	0	0	0	0	350
2012	1	370	6	0	0	0	0	377
2013	0	330	0	3	0	0	0	333
2014	2	349	0	5	0	0	0	356
2015	0	347	0	2	0	0	0	349
2016	6	335	1	2	0	0	0	344
2017	6	314	1	2	0	0	0	323
2018	7	305	1	2	0	0	0	315
2019	7	304	2	0	0	0	0	313
2020	6	312	1	0	0	0	0	319
2021	8	255	0	1	0	0	0	264
2022	7	294	0	6	0	0	0	307
2023	6	261	0	7	0	0	0	274

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 Highland Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	360	18.0	20.0	n/a
1992	280	12.0	23.3	n/a
1993	320	13.0	24.6	26.9
1994	338	15.0	22.5	0
1995	344	15.4	22.3	25.6
1996	344	15.4	22.3	25.6
1997	342	17.0	20.1	14.6
1998	346	18.0	19.2	21.1
1999	339	18.0	18.8	34.8
2000	338	20.5	16.5	44.4
2001	490	28.0	17.5	57.3
2002	467	26.5	17.6	64.2
2003	467	26.5	17.6	64.2
2004	488	29.0	16.8	76.2
2005	505	27.5	18.4	79
2006	485	27.0	18.0	99.4
2007	471	26.0	18.1	83
2008	425	26.6	16.0	82.8
2009	419	26.2	16.0	91.6
2010	390	24.0	16.2	97.2
2011	350	21.3	16.4	94.9
2012	377	22.2	16.9	95
2013	333	20.2	16.4	99.1
2014	356	21.6	16.4	98.3
2015	349	22.0	15.8	100
2016	344	22.0	15.6	100
2017	323	22.5	14.3	100
2018	315	21.7	14.4	100
2019	313	21.7	14.3	99
2020	319	19.7	16.1	99.1
2021	264	17.7	14.8	98.9
2022	307	15.7	19.4	99
2023	274	15.0	18.2	98.9

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 Highland Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	360	18.0	20.0	n/a
1992	280	12.0	23.3	n/a
1993	320	13.0	24.6	26.9
1994	338	15.0	22.5	0
1995	344	15.4	22.3	25.6
1996	344	15.4	22.3	25.6
1997	342	17.0	20.1	14.6
1998	346	18.0	19.2	21.1
1999	339	18.0	18.8	34.8
2000	338	20.5	16.5	44.4
2001	490	28.0	17.5	57.3
2002	467	26.5	17.6	64.2
2003	467	26.5	17.6	64.2
2004	488	29.0	16.8	76.2
2005	505	27.5	18.4	79
2006	485	27.0	18.0	99.4
2007	471	26.0	18.1	83
2008	425	26.6	16.0	82.8
2009	419	26.2	16.0	91.6
2010	390	24.0	16.2	97.2
2011	350	21.3	16.4	94.9
2012	377	22.2	16.9	95
2013	333	20.2	16.4	99.1
2014	356	21.6	16.4	98.3
2015	349	22.0	15.8	100
2016	344	22.0	15.6	100
2017	323	22.5	14.3	100
2018	315	21.7	14.4	100
2019	313	21.7	14.3	99
2020	319	19.7	16.1	99.1
2021	264	17.7	14.8	98.9
2022	307	15.7	19.4	99
2023	274	15.0	18.2	98.9

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 Highland Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$626 (6.3%)	$9,262 (93.7%)	$9,888
2020	$552 (6.1%)	$8,482 (93.9%)	$9,035
2021	$3,189 (34.9%)	$5,939 (65.1%)	$9,128
2022	$2,305 (23.1%)	$7,682 (76.9%)	$9,987

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland 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 1019^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 882^nd of 898 Elementary schools	1.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Highland Elementary)	20.3	6.7	13.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Riverview Gardens)	13.1	9.2	3.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Highland Elementary)	8.7	5.7	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Riverview Gardens)	17.5	9	8.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Highland Elementary)	20	14.3	5.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Riverview Gardens)	16.1	12.8	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	313	274	12.5%
African American	304	261	14.1%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	0	7
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	7	6	14.3%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	99%	98.9%	0.1%

Schools Near Highland Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MAP Mathematics (2023)			MAP Science (2023)	MAP English Language Arts (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Highland Elementary	Public	K-5	174 Shepley Dr	Saint Louis	63137	St. Louis County	Riverview Gardens	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 868-4561	274	15	18.2	98.9%	6 (2.2%)	261 (95.3%)	7 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.3	882^nd of 898 public elementary schools	1.8%		2.6	908^th of 908 public elementary schools	0.0%	26			2.1	4.0	6.7	5.7	14.3		$9,987	$2,305	$7,683
Glasgow Elementary	Public	K-5	10560 Renfrew Dr	Saint Louis	63137	St. Louis County	Riverview Gardens	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 868-4680	269	14	19.5	98.9%	4 (1.5%)	264 (98.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3.4	893^rd of 898 public elementary schools	0.6%		3.9	896^th of 908 public elementary schools	1.3%	3	1.8	3.1	2.2	2.2	11.3	3.1	8.7		$9,670	$2,338	$7,332
Gibson Elementary	Public	K-5	9926 Fonda Dr	Saint Louis	63137	St. Louis County	Riverview Gardens	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 869-4845	429	23	18.8	99.3%	6 (1.4%)	415 (96.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3.7	890^th of 898 public elementary schools	0.9%		5.7	885^th of 908 public elementary schools	2.5%	5	2.5	1.4	2.5	5.0	3.7	8.2	12.4		$9,116	$2,048	$7,068
Danforth Elementary	Public	K-5	1111 St Cyr Rd	Saint Louis	63137	St. Louis County	Riverview Gardens	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 868-9524	271	16	16.9	98.9%	4 (1.5%)	263 (97.0%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2.9	896^th of 898 public elementary schools	0.2%		3	906^th of 908 public elementary schools	0.2%	10	4.4				4.3	3.9			$11,241	$2,947	$8,293
Larimore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1025 Trampe Ln	Saint Louis	63138	St. Louis County	Hazelwood	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 953-4500	341	27	12.7	99.1%	3 (0.9%)	318 (93.3%)	9 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	4.6	876^th of 898 public elementary schools	2.4%		5.1	888^th of 908 public elementary schools	2.2%	12	5.6		3.2	9.7	5.5	1.4	14.5		$13,385	$4,462	$8,923
Twillman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11831 Bellefontaine Rd	Saint Louis	63138	St. Louis County	Hazelwood	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 953-4850	326	25	13.0	99.1%	5 (1.5%)	304 (93.3%)	12 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.5%)	6	864^th of 898 public elementary schools	3.8%		5.8	883^rd of 908 public elementary schools	2.8%	19	7.8	2.1	6.7	3.4	12.0	15.2	17.2		$13,171	$4,701	$8,470
Lewis And Clark Elementary	Public	K-5	10242 Prince	Saint Louis	63136	St. Louis County	Riverview Gardens	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 868-5205	145	6	25.2	97.9%	1 (0.7%)	143 (98.6%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					16.0	8.7			$11,498	$2,711	$8,787
Meadows Elementary	Public	K-5	9801 Edgefield	Saint Louis	63136	St. Louis County	Riverview Gardens	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 868-2454	333	17	19.5	99.1%	7 (2.1%)	312 (93.7%)	14 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.9	838^th of 898 public elementary schools	6.7%		5.9	881^st of 908 public elementary schools	3.0%	43		6.4	10.4	10.4	14.5	11.4	27.1		$9,042	$2,120	$6,922
Grannemann Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2324 Redman Rd	Saint Louis	63136	St. Louis County	Hazelwood	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 953-4250	411	31	13.0	97.8%	9 (2.2%)	393 (95.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	5.3	870^th of 898 public elementary schools	3.1%		7.4	857^th of 908 public elementary schools	5.6%	13	12.2	7.7	3.2	6.3	10.5	13.5	9.5		$12,783	$4,163	$8,620
Earl Nance Senior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	8959 Riverview Blvd	Saint Louis	63147	St. Louis city	St. Louis City	No	No	No	Yes	(314) 867-0634	321	22	14.5	99.1%	5 (1.6%)	312 (97.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	9	833^rd of 898 public elementary schools	7.2%		6.2	876^th of 908 public elementary schools	3.5%	43	20.8	10.0	12.8	10.3	18.7	10.0	12.8	8.7	$15,464	$1,450	$14,014

Highland Elementary

Highland Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Riverview Gardens:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Highland Elementary

Rank History for all students at Highland Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Highland Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at Highland Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Highland Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Highland Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Highland Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Highland Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Highland Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Highland Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Highland Elementary