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Pershing Elementary

Summary:

Pershing Elementary is a public elementary school located in St. Joseph, Missouri, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 267 students. The school is part of the St. Joseph School District, which is ranked 234 out of 386 districts in Missouri and is rated 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Pershing Elementary has consistently ranked among the top Missouri elementary schools for low socioeconomic status (SES) students, earning a 5-star rating in the 2023-2024 school year. The school has also shown strong performance in mathematics and English language arts (ELA), with 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students outperforming the St. Joseph and Missouri state averages. For example, 51.2% of 6th-grade students at Pershing Elementary were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 39.9% in the St. Joseph district and 44.4% statewide. Similarly, 56.3% of 4th-grade students at Pershing Elementary were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 33.5% in the St. Joseph district and 46.2% statewide.

However, Pershing Elementary has faced some challenges, including relatively high chronic absenteeism rates and a declining statewide ranking, from 236 out of 1,032 Missouri elementary schools in the 2016-2017 school year to 359 out of 906 schools in the 2023-2024 school year. While Pershing Elementary's performance is generally stronger than some nearby schools, such as Parkway Elementary, Lindbergh Elementary, and Coleman Elementary, the nearby Oak Grove Elementary stands out as a high-performing school that consistently outperforms Pershing Elementary in several subject areas.


Detail:

Public K-6

 2610 Blackwell Rd
       Saint Joseph, MO  64505-1326

(816) 671-4320

District: St. Joseph

SchoolDigger Rank:
359th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,951 Help


Students who attend Pershing Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Robidoux Middle
High:    Lafayette High

Student/teacher ratio:  15.8 Help
Number of students:  283

Racial breakdown:

White:
72.1%
Two or more races:
11.7%
Hispanic:
10.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Pershing Elementary ranks better than 60.4% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 4th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.07. (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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (72.1%), two or more races (11.7%), Hispanic (10.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pershing Elementary is 15.8. 10 elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pershing Elementary employs 17.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pershing Elementary is $11,951, which is the highest among 13 elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pershing Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Pershing Elementary 359th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Pershing Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
White students:


St. Joseph:

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


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Rank History for Pershing Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Pershing Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 80.20 124th 1074 88.5%
2007 71.69 215th 1080 80.1%
2008 79.66 140th 1084 87.1%
2009 75.67 183rd 1053 82.6%
2010 70.52 274th 1066 74.3%
2011 67.14 327th 1088 69.9%
2012 69.74 289th 1085 73.4%
2013 67.18 319th 1108 71.2%
2014 61.30 389th 1089 64.3%
2015 69.38 301st 1058 71.6%
2016 62.53 336th 865 61.2%
2017 73.79 236th 1032 77.1%
2018 66.94 323rd 1045 69.1%
2019 62.39 367th 1052 65.1%
2021 54.21 416th 901 53.8%
2022 51.08 441st 908 51.4%
2023 41.18 553rd 898 38.4%
2024 59.07 359th 906 60.4%
See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pershing Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 75.89 123rd 887 86.1%
2019 74.16 129th 907 85.8%
2023 50.75 273rd 611 55.3%
2024 85.71 44th 625 93.0%
See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for White students at Pershing Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.59 389th 898 56.7%
2019 52.05 407th 917 55.6%
2021 24.76 548th 691 20.7%
2022 39.19 426th 675 36.9%
2023 27.80 515th 673 23.5%
2024 43.89 376th 668 43.7%
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.

Pershing Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Pershing 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 348 348
1992 345 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 345
1993 331 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 331
1994 334 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 334
1995 308 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 308
1996 308 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 308
1997 296 12 1 4 0 n/a n/a 0 313
1998 285 10 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 298
1999 299 11 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 313
2000 310 10 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 322
2001 290 10 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 301
2002 279 18 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 298
2003 279 18 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 298
2004 263 18 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 282
2005 269 20 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 291
2006 264 16 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 283
2007 251 13 3 10 0 n/a n/a 0 277
2008 237 18 3 8 1 n/a n/a 0 267
2009 255 17 3 3 2 n/a n/a 0 280
2010 283 30 0 11 0 n/a n/a 0 324
2011 296 42 1 13 1 0 0 0 353
2012 292 31 0 11 0 0 1 0 335
2013 279 22 0 10 0 3 4 0 318
2014 307 24 3 11 2 0 9 0 356
2015 287 21 3 9 1 0 13 0 334
2016 280 10 3 10 0 1 27 0 331
2017 288 5 3 7 0 4 32 0 339
2018 274 2 3 14 0 0 26 0 319
2019 256 4 5 13 0 0 26 0 304
2020 226 9 4 18 0 0 27 0 284
2021 229 10 3 21 0 0 29 0 292
2022 211 14 3 19 0 0 33 0 280
2023 201 13 1 23 0 0 29 0 267
2024 204 13 3 30 0 0 33 0 283

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 Pershing Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 348 15.7 22.1 14.7
1992 345 17.0 20.2 11.9
1993 331 16.5 20.1 16
1994 334 16.7 20.0 15.9
1995 308 17.7 17.4 28.6
1996 308 17.7 17.4 28.6
1997 313 18.7 16.7 23.3
1998 298 17.8 16.7 28.5
1999 313 17.8 17.6 30
2000 322 17.9 18.0 28
2001 301 18.5 16.3 31.6
2002 298 20.1 14.8 32.6
2003 298 20.1 14.8 32.6
2004 282 19.8 14.2 42.2
2005 291 20.3 14.3 41.9
2006 283 20.7 13.7 40.6
2007 277 19.6 14.1 37.9
2008 267 18.3 14.6 46.1
2009 280 18.3 15.3 41.1
2010 324 19.2 16.8 52.2
2011 353 20.9 16.8 51.8
2012 335 20.9 15.9 55.8
2013 318 20.0 15.8 54.1
2014 356 20.0 17.7 58.1
2015 334 20.0 16.7 56.9
2016 331 20.0 16.5 52.9
2017 339 22.5 15.0 59.9
2018 319 22.3 14.2 60.5
2019 304 19.9 15.2 55.6
2020 284 19.5 14.5 62.7
2021 292 18.3 15.8 46.2
2022 280 20.0 13.9 41.1
2023 267 19.2 13.8 60.7
2024 283 17.9 15.8 100

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 Pershing Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 348 15.7 22.1 14.7
1992 345 17.0 20.2 11.9
1993 331 16.5 20.1 16
1994 334 16.7 20.0 15.9
1995 308 17.7 17.4 28.6
1996 308 17.7 17.4 28.6
1997 313 18.7 16.7 23.3
1998 298 17.8 16.7 28.5
1999 313 17.8 17.6 30
2000 322 17.9 18.0 28
2001 301 18.5 16.3 31.6
2002 298 20.1 14.8 32.6
2003 298 20.1 14.8 32.6
2004 282 19.8 14.2 42.2
2005 291 20.3 14.3 41.9
2006 283 20.7 13.7 40.6
2007 277 19.6 14.1 37.9
2008 267 18.3 14.6 46.1
2009 280 18.3 15.3 41.1
2010 324 19.2 16.8 52.2
2011 353 20.9 16.8 51.8
2012 335 20.9 15.9 55.8
2013 318 20.0 15.8 54.1
2014 356 20.0 17.7 58.1
2015 334 20.0 16.7 56.9
2016 331 20.0 16.5 52.9
2017 339 22.5 15.0 59.9
2018 319 22.3 14.2 60.5
2019 304 19.9 15.2 55.6
2020 284 19.5 14.5 62.7
2021 292 18.3 15.8 46.2
2022 280 20.0 13.9 41.1
2023 267 19.2 13.8 60.7
2024 283 17.9 15.8 100

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 Pershing Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $273 (3.2%) $8,312 (96.8%) $8,586
2020 $327 (3.2%) $9,930 (96.8%) $10,257
2021 $863 (7.5%) $10,718 (92.5%) $11,581
2022 $507 (4.2%) $11,444 (95.8%) $11,951

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Pershing 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 367th of 1052 Elementary schoolsRanks 553rd of 898 Elementary schools
 26.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)61.931.6
 30.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)38.230.6
 7.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)4641.1
 4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pershing Elementary)64.351.5
 12.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)4236.8
 5.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)48.741.4
 7.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)78.141.2
 36.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)38.339.6
 1.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)46.843.4
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)33.431.5
 1.9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)33.328.1
 5.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)40.339.1
 1.2%
5th Grade Science (Pershing Elementary)26.634.3
 7.7%
   5th Grade Science (St. Joseph)27.529.3
 1.8%
   5th Grade Science (Missouri)42.540.9
 1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pershing Elementary)37.845.8
 8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)37.237
 0.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)47.144.1
 3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)60.831
 29.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)38.234.5
 3.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)42.543.7
 1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pershing Elementary)52.228.6
 23.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)38.532.9
 5.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)45.937.5
 8.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students304267
 12.2%
African American413
 225%
American Indian00
Asian51
 80%
Hispanic1323
 76.9%
Pacific Islander00
White256201
 21.5%
Two or More Races2629
 11.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.6%60.7%
 5.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pershing Elementary

In the 2023-24 school year, 283 students attended Pershing Elementary.

Pershing Elementary ranks 359th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Pershing Elementary are 72% White, 12% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 5% African American, 1% Asian.

Students who attend Pershing Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Robidoux Middle
High : Lafayette High


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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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