Pershing Elementary

Q: Is Pershing Elementary a good school?

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

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:
359^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,951

Students who attend Pershing Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Robidoux Middle
High:	Lafayette High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 267

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.3%

Two or more races:

10.9%

Hispanic:

8.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.7%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Pershing Elementary ranks better than 60.4% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 4^th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.07. (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 Pershing Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the St. Joseph School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

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 359^th 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 234^th 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
2006	80.20	124^th	1074	88.5%
2007	71.69	215^th	1080	80.1%
2008	79.66	140^th	1084	87.1%
2009	75.67	183^rd	1053	82.6%
2010	70.52	274^th	1066	74.3%
2011	67.14	327^th	1088	69.9%
2012	69.74	289^th	1085	73.4%
2013	67.18	319^th	1108	71.2%
2014	61.30	389^th	1089	64.3%
2015	69.38	301^st	1058	71.6%
2016	62.53	336^th	865	61.2%
2017	73.79	236^th	1032	77.1%
2018	66.94	323^rd	1045	69.1%
2019	62.39	367^th	1052	65.1%
2021	54.21	416^th	901	53.8%
2022	51.08	441^st	908	51.4%
2023	41.18	553^rd	898	38.4%
2024	59.07	359^th	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
2018	75.89	123^rd	887	86.1%
2019	74.16	129^th	907	85.8%
2023	50.75	273^rd	611	55.3%
2024	85.71	44^th	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
2018	54.59	389^th	898	56.7%
2019	52.05	407^th	917	55.6%
2021	24.76	548^th	691	20.7%
2022	39.19	426^th	675	36.9%
2023	27.80	515^th	673	23.5%
2024	43.89	376^th	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.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for Pershing 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	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

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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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

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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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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 367^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 553^rd of 898 Elementary schools	26.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)	61.9	31.6	30.3%
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 (Pershing Elementary)	64.3	51.5	12.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (St. Joseph)	42	36.8	5.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	41.4	7.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)	78.1	41.2	36.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)	38.3	39.6	1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.4	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pershing Elementary)	33.4	31.5	1.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (St. Joseph)	33.3	28.1	5.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Pershing Elementary)	26.6	34.3	7.7%
5th Grade Science (St. Joseph)	27.5	29.3	1.8%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pershing Elementary)	37.8	45.8	8%
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 (Pershing Elementary)	60.8	31	29.8%
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 (Pershing Elementary)	52.2	28.6	23.6%
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	304	267	12.2%
African American	4	13	225%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	1	80%
Hispanic	13	23	76.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	256	201	21.5%
Two or More Races	26	29	11.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	55.6%	60.7%	5.1%

Schools Near Pershing 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 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
Pershing Elementary	Public	K-6	2610 Blackwell Rd	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4320	267	19	13.8	60.7%	201 (75.3%)	13 (4.9%)	23 (8.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.9%)	59.1	359^th of 906 public elementary schools	60.4%		41.2	553^rd of 898 public elementary schools	38.4%	194	38.2	48.7	46.4	51.2	46.4	34.7	56.3	54.6	24.2	$11,951	$507	$11,444
Field Elementary	Public	K-6	2602 Gene Field	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4130	265	19	13.7	50.2%	168 (63.4%)	5 (1.9%)	24 (9.1%)	29 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	36 (13.6%)	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
John Glenn Elementary	Public	K-5	12401 County Rd 438	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	Savannah R-III	No	No	No	No	(816) 279-4533	246	18	13.3	30.9%	230 (93.5%)	4 (1.6%)	9 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	72.5	229^th of 906 public elementary schools	74.7%		66.9	288^th of 898 public elementary schools	67.9%	59		59.9			36.3	58.1				$8,837	$288	$8,549
Lindbergh Elementary	Public	K-5	2812 St Joseph Ave	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4250	484	32	15.0	99.4%	309 (63.8%)	24 (5.0%)	46 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.3%)	88 (18.2%)	15.8	772^nd of 906 public elementary schools	14.8%		12.6	801^st of 898 public elementary schools	10.8%	29	20.3	30.1	11.9		14.3	19.2	24.0	24.6		$10,611	$352	$10,259
Coleman Elementary	Public	K-6	3312 Beck Rd	Saint Joseph	64506	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4100	349	28	12.5	99.1%	175 (50.1%)	38 (10.9%)	23 (6.6%)	9 (2.6%)	1 (0.3%)	57 (16.3%)	46 (13.2%)	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
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4901 Cook Rd	Saint Joseph	64505	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	No	(816) 671-4290	842	54	15.5	45.8%	529 (62.8%)	55 (6.5%)	95 (11.3%)	39 (4.6%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.9%)	107 (12.7%)	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
Edison Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	515 N 22nd	Saint Joseph	64501	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4110	288	23	12.5	99.0%	126 (43.8%)	40 (13.9%)	59 (20.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.5%)	49 (17.0%)	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
Parkway Elementary	Public	K-6	2900 Duncan	Saint Joseph	64507	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4310	379	29	13.2	99.2%	256 (67.5%)	9 (2.4%)	49 (12.9%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	12 (3.2%)	49 (12.9%)	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
Carden Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1510 Duncan	Saint Joseph	64501	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4160	577	39	14.7	99.5%	346 (60.0%)	53 (9.2%)	88 (15.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	7 (1.2%)	80 (13.9%)	27	683^rd of 906 public elementary schools	24.6%		45.3	504^th of 898 public elementary schools	43.9%	179	28.8	28.3	17.5		26.2	27.3		26.0	31.9	$10,887	$398	$10,489
Pickett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3923 Pickett Rd	Saint Joseph	64503	Buchanan County	St. Joseph	No	No	No	Yes	(816) 671-4330	290	20	14.2	99.0%	215 (74.1%)	13 (4.5%)	23 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	35 (12.1%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Pershing Elementary

What schools do graduates of Pershing Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pershing Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Robidoux Middle
High : Lafayette High

How many students attend Pershing Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 267 students attended Pershing Elementary.

What district is Pershing Elementary in?

St. Joseph

Is Pershing Elementary a good school?

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

What is the racial makeup of Pershing Elementary?

Students at Pershing Elementary are 75% White, 11% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 5% African American.

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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.