Is Ellison Elementary a good school?

Yes. Ellison Elementary ranks in the top 9.4% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend Ellison Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 360 students attended Ellison Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Ellison Elementary?

Students at Ellison Elementary are 66% White, 13% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.

Ellison Elementary

Summary:

Ellison Elementary is a public elementary school located in St. Joseph, Missouri, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 364 students. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Missouri, outperforming both the district and state averages on standardized tests, particularly in Mathematics and English Language Arts.

Ellison Elementary's academic performance is truly impressive. In the 2023-2024 school year, its 5th-grade students scored 70.4% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to just 28.5% for the St. Joseph School District and 38.4% for the state. The school's 6th-grade students also excelled, with 74.9% scoring proficient or better in Mathematics, far surpassing the district's 39.9% and the state's 44.4%. Ellison Elementary's performance in English Language Arts is equally noteworthy, with 4th-grade students scoring 56.4% proficient or better, compared to 33.5% for the district and 46.2% for the state.

While Ellison Elementary's chronic absenteeism rate has fluctuated in recent years, it remains lower than the district average. The school also serves a diverse student population, with 44.78% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year. Ellison Elementary's performance for low socioeconomic status students is particularly impressive, ranking 222 out of 611 Missouri elementary schools in this category. When compared to nearby schools, Ellison Elementary stands out as a high-performing institution, outpacing the majority of its counterparts in the St. Joseph School District.

Detail:

Public K-6

45 SE 85th Rd
Saint Joseph, MO 64507-8759

(816) 667-5316

District: St. Joseph

SchoolDigger Rank:
85^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,618

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 360

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.1%

Two or more races:

13.1%

Hispanic:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.4%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Ellison Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ellison Elementary ranks better than 90.6% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks first among 13 ranked elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.62. (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: White (66.1%), two or more races (13.1%), Hispanic (8.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ellison Elementary is 16.2. 11 elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ellison Elementary employs 22.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ellison Elementary is $10,618. 9 elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ellison Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Ellison Elementary 85^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Ellison Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

St. Joseph:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Joseph 234^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Ellison Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Ellison Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	95.47	10^th	1074	99.1%
2007	91.73	21^st	1080	98.1%
2008	80.37	132^nd	1084	87.8%
2009	85.09	99^th	1053	90.6%
2010	84.14	101^st	1066	90.5%
2011	83.16	110^th	1088	89.9%
2012	89.23	51^st	1085	95.3%
2013	88.21	65^th	1108	94.1%
2014	87.39	79^th	1089	92.7%
2015	82.34	148^th	1058	86.0%
2016	79.84	153^rd	865	82.3%
2017	72.53	251^st	1032	75.7%
2018	80.83	151^st	1045	85.6%
2019	70.40	257^th	1052	75.6%
2021	87.11	90^th	901	90.0%
2022	90.75	53^rd	908	94.2%
2023	83.48	119^th	898	86.7%
2024	86.62	85^th	906	90.6%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ellison Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	75.70	126^th	887	85.8%
2019	62.66	254^th	907	72.0%
2023	55.81	222^nd	611	63.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Ellison Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	84.36	99^th	898	89.0%
2019	69.44	232^nd	917	74.7%
2021	88.34	61^st	691	91.2%
2022	88.96	50^th	675	92.6%
2023	83.67	86^th	673	87.2%
2024	84.31	76^th	668	88.6%

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.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Ellison Elementary

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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	402	402
1992	379	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	379
1993	387	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	387
1994	363	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	363
1995	348	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
1996	348	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
1997	336	6	3	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	352
1998	359	5	4	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	372
1999	356	3	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	369
2000	335	3	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	348
2001	317	5	5	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	331
2002	296	5	10	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	317
2003	296	5	10	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	317
2004	286	8	9	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	313
2005	268	13	9	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	300
2006	257	9	4	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	280
2007	258	6	6	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	281
2008	262	9	6	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	292
2009	314	11	8	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	347
2010	317	20	9	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
2011	308	31	6	24	0	0	0	0	369
2012	310	25	4	19	1	0	6	0	365
2013	322	21	5	18	2	0	11	0	379
2014	321	20	4	17	2	1	11	0	376
2015	318	28	5	18	3	1	21	0	394
2016	292	17	6	15	4	2	23	0	359
2017	276	27	5	17	3	2	22	0	352
2018	267	22	6	15	1	1	29	0	341
2019	271	21	7	11	0	1	24	0	335
2020	266	24	7	21	0	0	36	0	354
2021	262	23	7	21	1	0	42	0	356
2022	260	33	8	24	1	0	46	0	372
2023	252	25	9	26	3	0	49	0	364
2024	238	26	13	32	4	0	47	0	360

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 Ellison Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	402	18.8	21.3	6
1992	379	18.6	20.3	6.1
1993	387	18.6	20.8	10.3
1994	363	17.7	20.5	10.5
1995	348	16.9	20.6	12.9
1996	348	16.9	20.6	12.9
1997	352	17.9	19.7	7.7
1998	372	19.4	19.2	8.9
1999	369	18.7	19.7	15.7
2000	348	19.0	18.3	14.7
2001	331	20.2	16.4	18.1
2002	317	20.3	15.6	19.6
2003	317	20.3	15.6	19.6
2004	313	19.2	16.3	20.4
2005	300	18.7	16.0	20.3
2006	280	18.1	15.5	20.7
2007	281	17.1	16.4	14.6
2008	292	19.2	15.2	16.4
2009	347	20.0	17.4	19.6
2010	368	21.4	17.2	27.4
2011	369	21.4	17.2	32
2012	365	23.9	15.2	29.3
2013	379	22.9	16.5	33.2
2014	376	23.3	16.0	34.3
2015	394	24.0	16.4	41.6
2016	359	23.0	15.6	36.2
2017	352	23.9	14.7	42.9
2018	341	24.5	13.9	42.8
2019	335	20.0	16.6	39.1
2020	354	21.4	16.5	46.9
2021	356	18.5	19.2	40.4
2022	372	22.5	16.4	33.3
2023	364	24.0	15.1	44.8
2024	360	22.1	16.2	39.4

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 Ellison Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	402	18.8	21.3	6
1992	379	18.6	20.3	6.1
1993	387	18.6	20.8	10.3
1994	363	17.7	20.5	10.5
1995	348	16.9	20.6	12.9
1996	348	16.9	20.6	12.9
1997	352	17.9	19.7	7.7
1998	372	19.4	19.2	8.9
1999	369	18.7	19.7	15.7
2000	348	19.0	18.3	14.7
2001	331	20.2	16.4	18.1
2002	317	20.3	15.6	19.6
2003	317	20.3	15.6	19.6
2004	313	19.2	16.3	20.4
2005	300	18.7	16.0	20.3
2006	280	18.1	15.5	20.7
2007	281	17.1	16.4	14.6
2008	292	19.2	15.2	16.4
2009	347	20.0	17.4	19.6
2010	368	21.4	17.2	27.4
2011	369	21.4	17.2	32
2012	365	23.9	15.2	29.3
2013	379	22.9	16.5	33.2
2014	376	23.3	16.0	34.3
2015	394	24.0	16.4	41.6
2016	359	23.0	15.6	36.2
2017	352	23.9	14.7	42.9
2018	341	24.5	13.9	42.8
2019	335	20.0	16.6	39.1
2020	354	21.4	16.5	46.9
2021	356	18.5	19.2	40.4
2022	372	22.5	16.4	33.3
2023	364	24.0	15.1	44.8
2024	360	22.1	16.2	39.4

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 Ellison Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$460 (5.2%)	$8,356 (94.8%)	$8,817
2020	$507 (5.2%)	$9,177 (94.8%)	$9,684
2021	$1,027 (10.0%)	$9,224 (90.0%)	$10,251
2022	$678 (6.4%)	$9,940 (93.6%)	$10,618

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ellison 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 257^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 119^th of 898 Elementary schools	11.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ellison Elementary)	62.5	39.2	23.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)	38.2	30.6	7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ellison Elementary)	71.9	32.6	39.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)	42	33.6	8.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ellison Elementary)	42	70.5	28.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)	38.3	37.9	0.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ellison Elementary)	51.1	72.1	21%
4th Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)	38.2	39.7	1.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ellison Elementary)	64.1	73.3	9.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)	33.3	28.1	5.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Ellison Elementary)	45.3	67.7	22.4%
5th Grade Science (St. Joseph)	27.5	28.1	0.6%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.6	1.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ellison Elementary)	54.7	71.1	16.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)	37.2	37	0.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ellison Elementary)	53.7	71.4	17.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)	38.2	34.5	3.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	42.5	43.7	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ellison Elementary)	61	68.2	7.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)	38.5	32.9	5.6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	45.9	37.5	8.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	335	364	8.7%
African American	21	25	19%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	7	9	28.6%
Hispanic	11	26	136.4%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	271	252	7%
Two or More Races	24	49	104.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.1%	44.8%	5.7%

Schools Near Ellison Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)					MAP Science (2024)		MAP English Language Arts (2024)					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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th 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	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ellison Elementary	Public	K-6	45 SE 85th Rd	Saint Joseph	64507	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 667-5316	360	22	16.2	39.4%	238 (66.1%)	26 (7.2%)	32 (8.9%)	13 (3.6%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (13.1%)	86.6	85^th of 906 public elementary schools	90.6%		83.5	119^th of 898 public elementary schools	86.7%	34	64.0	53.1	70.4	74.9		63.3			56.4				$10,618	$678	$9,940
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4901 Cook Rd	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4290	506	32	15.6	29.4%	325 (64.2%)	33 (6.5%)	53 (10.5%)	35 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.8%)	46 (9.1%)	81.4	143^rd of 906 public elementary schools	84.2%		74.5	192^nd of 898 public elementary schools	78.6%	49	74.5	52.0	51.2	62.6		47.3		64.2	52.8	62.2	49.2		$11,770	$799	$10,971
Skaith Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4701 Schoolside Ln	Saint Joseph	64503	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4370	424	27	15.5	100.0%	251 (59.2%)	32 (7.5%)	54 (12.7%)	4 (0.9%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	77 (18.2%)	36.3	596^th of 906 public elementary schools	34.2%		41.7	546^th of 898 public elementary schools	39.2%	50	41.3	18.5	13.3	39.9		28.4		33.2	20.2	35.8	42.1		$10,612	$544	$10,068
Pickett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3923 Pickett Rd	Saint Joseph	64503	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4330	277	24	11.7	100.0%	199 (71.8%)	9 (3.2%)	29 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	34 (12.3%)	44.3	517^th of 906 public elementary schools	42.9%		28.4	678^th of 898 public elementary schools	24.5%	161	63.2	22.5	23.9	39.4						31.8	37.1		$11,114	$745	$10,369
Coleman Elementary	Public	K-6	3312 Beck Rd	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4100	394	30	13.0	100.0%	184 (46.7%)	34 (8.6%)	49 (12.4%)	11 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	59 (15.0%)	56 (14.2%)	28.2	674^th of 906 public elementary schools	25.6%		18	748^th of 898 public elementary schools	16.7%	74	19.0	31.5	22.9	29.1		27.8		30.3	31.5	30.9	30.5		$11,183	$404	$10,778
Mark Twain Early Learning Center	Public	PK	705 S 31st St	Saint Joseph	64507	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(816) 671-4270	195	16	12.5	65.1%	104 (53.3%)	15 (7.7%)	39 (20.0%)	3 (1.5%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.6%)	28 (14.4%)								(n/a)
Parkway Elementary	Public	K-6	2900 Duncan	Saint Joseph	64507	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4310	429	30	14.5	100.0%	271 (63.2%)	12 (2.8%)	59 (13.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.4%)	66 (15.4%)	19.1	740^th of 906 public elementary schools	18.3%		35.9	601^st of 898 public elementary schools	33.1%	139	26.1	29.4	7.6	22.7		22.9		28.4	23.2		19.3		$10,424	$455	$9,969
Field Elementary	Public	K-6	2602 Gene Field	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4130	267	18	14.6	46.4%	177 (66.3%)	3 (1.1%)	24 (9.0%)	21 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	39 (14.6%)	74.9	197^th of 906 public elementary schools	78.3%		75	185^th of 898 public elementary schools	79.4%	12		54.7		76.0						40.9			$11,306	$797	$10,509
Edison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	515 N 22nd	Saint Joseph	64501	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4110	388	30	13.1	100.0%	184 (47.4%)	58 (14.9%)	65 (16.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)	67 (17.3%)	27	681^st of 906 public elementary schools	24.8%		31.1	650^th of 898 public elementary schools	27.6%	31	41.0	18.4	18.3	32.6		21.0		37.4	20.8	25.1	24.0		$11,814	$1,118	$10,696
Avenue City Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	18069 Hwy 169	Cosby	64436	Andrew County	Avenue City R-Ix	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 662-2305	226	14	15.9	14.6%	214 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)								(n/a)		73.0			88.8		76.4		80.7			82.3	$8,603	$648	$7,955

Ellison Elementary

Ellison Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

St. Joseph:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Ellison Elementary

Rank History for all students at Ellison Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ellison Elementary

Rank History for White students at Ellison Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Ellison Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ellison Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Ellison Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ellison Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Ellison Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ellison Elementary