Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Yes. Independence Elementary ranks in the top 9.0% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 753 students attended Independence Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 81% White, 7% Two or more races, 6% African American, 4% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Bryan Middle High : Francis Howell High

Independence Elementary

Summary:

Independence Elementary is a public elementary school located in Saint Charles, Missouri, serving 753 students in grades K-5 and part of the highly-ranked Francis Howell R-III School District.

Independence Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Missouri, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and exceptional academic performance. The school's students outperform state and district averages on standardized tests, with 78.9% of 4th-graders proficient or better in Mathematics compared to 67.7% in the district and 43.8% statewide. However, the school has a higher percentage of White students (80.74%) and a lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students (9.69% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch) compared to nearby schools like Central Elementary and John Weldon Elementary, which have more diverse student populations and higher percentages of economically disadvantaged students.

The higher per-student spending at Independence Elementary ($12,030 in 2021-2022) may contribute to the school's strong academic performance, but nearby schools like Castlio Elementary also have higher per-student spending, suggesting that funding alone does not fully explain the differences in academic achievement. The consistent high performance of Independence Elementary, combined with the socioeconomic and demographic disparities among the surrounding schools, highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the factors shaping educational outcomes in the local area.

Detail:

Public K-5

4800 Meadows Pkwy
Saint Charles, MO 63304-2227

(636) 851-5900

District: Francis Howell R-III

SchoolDigger Rank:
81^st of 898 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,030

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bryan Middle
High:	Francis Howell High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.4

Number of students: 753

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.7%

Two or more races:

6.8%

African American:

6.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 9.7%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Independence Elementary ranks better than 91% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 5^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Francis Howell R-III School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.25. (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 (80.7%), two or more races (6.8%), African American (6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 9.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Independence Elementary is 14.4. 8 elementary schools in the Francis Howell R-III School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Independence Elementary employs 52.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Independence Elementary is $12,030. 8 elementary schools in the Francis Howell R-III School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Independence Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Independence Elementary 81^st of 898 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Independence Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

White students:

Francis Howell R-III:

SchoolDigger ranks Francis Howell R-III 14^th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Independence Elementary?

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Rank History for Independence Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	83.38	95^th	1074	91.2%
2007	83.88	88^th	1080	91.9%
2008	85.04	77^th	1084	92.9%
2009	83.87	112^th	1053	89.4%
2010	86.34	78^th	1066	92.7%
2011	81.42	135^th	1088	87.6%
2012	86.81	74^th	1085	93.2%
2013	89.54	51^st	1108	95.4%
2014	93.07	28^th	1089	97.4%
2015	94.27	21^st	1058	98.0%
2016	93.39	17^th	865	98.0%
2017	94.86	11^th	1032	98.9%
2018	91.81	41^st	1045	96.1%
2019	90.12	49^th	1052	95.3%
2021	90.33	57^th	901	93.7%
2022	91.62	45^th	908	95.0%
2023	87.25	81^st	898	91.0%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	75.24	13^th	107	87.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	86.30	49^th	907	94.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	37.78	199^th	302	34.1%
2022	91.80	2^nd	103	98.1%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.22	35^th	91	61.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	90.41	48^th	898	94.7%
2019	86.79	71^st	917	92.3%
2021	86.38	73^rd	691	89.4%
2022	87.10	65^th	675	90.4%
2023	81.62	99^th	673	85.3%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Independence Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2000	619	15	4	2	10	n/a	n/a	650
2001	830	23	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	867
2002	826	19	14	8	1	n/a	n/a	868
2003	826	19	14	8	1	n/a	n/a	868
2004	832	17	20	7	1	n/a	n/a	877
2005	849	16	25	9	1	n/a	n/a	900
2006	827	20	30	7	1	n/a	n/a	885
2007	796	20	28	8	1	n/a	n/a	853
2008	724	22	28	10	1	n/a	n/a	785
2009	735	37	31	10	0	n/a	n/a	813
2010	744	52	37	10	0	n/a	n/a	843
2011	691	39	32	11	0	1	0	774
2012	675	37	28	9	1	1	0	751
2013	659	36	26	12	2	1	4	740
2014	646	54	23	12	3	0	16	754
2015	610	36	18	17	3	0	34	718
2016	588	34	26	22	0	0	36	706
2017	605	35	22	19	0	0	38	719
2018	554	32	20	23	0	0	40	669
2019	559	27	16	18	0	0	45	665
2020	593	35	18	18	0	0	48	712
2021	612	36	22	27	0	1	41	739
2022	622	39	22	29	1	1	39	753
2023	608	45	16	30	1	2	51	753

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 Independence Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	650	40.4	16.1	1.8
2001	867	53.0	16.4	1.4
2002	868	54.0	16.1	1.7
2003	868	54.0	16.1	1.7
2004	877	55.0	15.9	2.2
2005	900	56.5	15.9	1.7
2006	885	56.0	15.8	2.1
2007	853	55.0	15.5	3.5
2008	785	55.5	14.1	4.2
2009	813	58.5	13.9	6.6
2010	843	57.5	14.6	6.5
2011	774	58.9	13.1	10.2
2012	751	52.4	14.3	9.7
2013	740	53.5	13.8	10.3
2014	754	52.8	14.2	12.5
2015	718	54.0	13.2	8.1
2016	706	51.0	13.8	8.9
2017	719	48.8	14.7	9.6
2018	669	49.3	13.5	8.1
2019	665	47.2	14.0	10.4
2020	712	49.0	14.5	7.9
2021	739	53.0	13.9	10.3
2022	753	51.0	14.7	10.5
2023	753	52.2	14.4	9.7

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 Independence Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	650	40.4	16.1	1.8
2001	867	53.0	16.4	1.4
2002	868	54.0	16.1	1.7
2003	868	54.0	16.1	1.7
2004	877	55.0	15.9	2.2
2005	900	56.5	15.9	1.7
2006	885	56.0	15.8	2.1
2007	853	55.0	15.5	3.5
2008	785	55.5	14.1	4.2
2009	813	58.5	13.9	6.6
2010	843	57.5	14.6	6.5
2011	774	58.9	13.1	10.2
2012	751	52.4	14.3	9.7
2013	740	53.5	13.8	10.3
2014	754	52.8	14.2	12.5
2015	718	54.0	13.2	8.1
2016	706	51.0	13.8	8.9
2017	719	48.8	14.7	9.6
2018	669	49.3	13.5	8.1
2019	665	47.2	14.0	10.4
2020	712	49.0	14.5	7.9
2021	739	53.0	13.9	10.3
2022	753	51.0	14.7	10.5
2023	753	52.2	14.4	9.7

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 Independence Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$314 (2.7%)	$11,307 (97.3%)	$11,620
2020	$270 (2.3%)	$11,280 (97.7%)	$11,550
2021	$360 (2.9%)	$11,982 (97.1%)	$12,342
2022	$838 (7.0%)	$11,192 (93.0%)	$12,030

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence 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 49^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 81^st of 898 Elementary schools	4.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Independence Elementary)	65.8	48.3	17.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Francis Howell R-III)	66.8	56.3	10.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary)	69.3	61.9	7.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Francis Howell R-III)	69.5	60.3	9.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Independence Elementary)	59.3	78.9	19.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Francis Howell R-III)	66.4	67.7	1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary)	67	78.3	11.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Francis Howell R-III)	70.3	71.7	1.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Independence Elementary)	83.4	63.8	19.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Francis Howell R-III)	65.9	56	9.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Independence Elementary)	73.1	56.9	16.2%
5th Grade Science (Francis Howell R-III)	56.5	55.1	1.4%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Independence Elementary)	77	63.3	13.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Francis Howell R-III)	68	63.1	4.9%
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	665	753	13.2%
African American	27	45	66.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	16	16
Hispanic	18	30	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	559	608	8.8%
Two or More Races	45	51	13.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	10.4%	9.7%	0.7%

Schools Near Independence 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Independence Elementary	Public	K-5	4800 Meadows Pkwy	Saint Charles	63304	St. Charles County	Francis Howell R-III	No	No	No	No	(636) 851-5900	753	52	14.4	9.7%	608 (80.7%)	45 (6.0%)	30 (4.0%)	16 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	51 (6.8%)	87.3	81^st of 898 public elementary schools	91.0%		91.6	45^th of 908 public elementary schools	95.0%	36	48.3	78.9	63.8	56.9	61.9	78.3	63.3	$12,030	$838	$11,192
Pheasant Point Elementary	Public	K-5	3450 Pheasant Meadow Dr	O Fallon	63368	St. Charles County	Fort Zumwalt School District	No	No	No	No	(636) 379-0173	436	38	11.4	11.2%	291 (66.7%)	19 (4.4%)	8 (1.8%)	97 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.8%)	87.3	80^th of 898 public elementary schools	91.1%		80.6	144^th of 908 public elementary schools	84.1%	64	50.7	67.1	60.1	63.8	69.7			$14,021	$1,000	$13,021
John Weldon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7370 Weldon Spring Rd	Dardenne Prairie	63368	St. Charles County	Francis Howell R-III	No	No	No	No	(636) 851-5500	677	50	13.5	6.9%	501 (74.0%)	31 (4.6%)	27 (4.0%)	83 (12.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (4.7%)	91.8	50^th of 898 public elementary schools	94.4%		93.8	30^th of 908 public elementary schools	96.7%	20	67.0	75.0	69.0	54.7	63.8	73.4	71.2	$13,465	$685	$12,779
Warren Elementary	Public	K-5	141 Weiss Rd	St Peters	63376	St. Charles County	Francis Howell R-III	No	No	No	No	(636) 851-6100	762	57	13.3	9.2%	596 (78.2%)	35 (4.6%)	52 (6.8%)	32 (4.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.9%)	92.6	43^rd of 898 public elementary schools	95.2%		92	44^th of 908 public elementary schools	95.2%	1	66.9	72.1	65.9	62.9	65.2	79.1	64.2	$12,005	$861	$11,145
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4525 Central School Rd	Saint Charles	63304	St. Charles County	Francis Howell R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 851-5700	831	62	13.4	31.6%	587 (70.6%)	107 (12.9%)	54 (6.5%)	15 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (7.9%)	69.5	247^th of 898 public elementary schools	72.5%		65.5	298^th of 908 public elementary schools	67.2%	51	32.9	46.9	44.3	52.8	54.2	59.3	62.1	$12,515	$892	$11,624
Castlio Elementary	Public	K-5	1020 Dingledine Rd	Saint Charles	63304	St. Charles County	Francis Howell R-III	No	No	No	No	(636) 851-4300	818	62	13.1	12.1%	644 (78.7%)	42 (5.1%)	51 (6.2%)	33 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.9%)	81.9	133^rd of 898 public elementary schools	85.2%		86.5	92^nd of 908 public elementary schools	89.9%	41	59.4	76.5	46.6	41.3	58.7	76.3	59.5	$13,685	$1,059	$12,626
Chesterfield Elementary	Public	K-5	17700 Wild Horse Creek Rd	Chesterfield	63005	St. Louis County	Rockwood R-VI	No	No	No	No	(636) 891-6500	450	31	14.3	6.7%	302 (67.1%)	32 (7.1%)	19 (4.2%)	72 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.3%)	98.4	5^th of 898 public elementary schools	99.4%		96.1	16^th of 908 public elementary schools	98.2%	11	76.0	86.0	86.4	79.6	77.3	85.0	80.7	$11,853	$270	$11,583
Emge Elementary	Public	K-5	250 Fallon Pkwy	O Fallon	63368	St. Charles County	Fort Zumwalt School District	No	No	No	No	(636) 281-0261	337	30	11.2	10.7%	267 (79.2%)	13 (3.9%)	12 (3.6%)	20 (5.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.5%)	87.4	78^th of 898 public elementary schools	91.3%		89.8	64^th of 908 public elementary schools	93.0%	14	61.9	73.7	50.0	51.6	64.3	77.2	67.2	$13,320	$933	$12,387
Ostmann Elementary	Public	K-5	200 Meriwether Lewis Dr	O Fallon	63368	St. Charles County	Fort Zumwalt School District	No	No	No	No	(636) 281-3382	349	32	10.9	7.7%	284 (81.4%)	12 (3.4%)	16 (4.6%)	18 (5.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.9%)	84.4	109^th of 898 public elementary schools	87.9%		90.2	58^th of 908 public elementary schools	93.6%	51	36.7	80.6	65.4	55.8	56.7	77.7	69.3	$14,780	$1,210	$13,570
Dardenne Elementary	Public	K-5	2621 Hwy K	O Fallon	63368	St. Charles County	Fort Zumwalt School District	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 978-4001	412	40	10.1	42.5%	271 (65.8%)	16 (3.9%)	68 (16.5%)	13 (3.2%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	40 (9.7%)	59.1	363^rd of 898 public elementary schools	59.6%		55.1	411^th of 908 public elementary schools	54.7%	48	28.3	45.5	50.8	52.4	30.3	55.6	65.6	$12,909	$985	$11,924

Independence Elementary

Independence Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Francis Howell R-III:

What do you think?

Rank History for Independence Elementary

Rank History for all students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Independence Elementary

Rank History for White students at Independence Elementary

Enrollment information for Independence Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Independence Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Independence Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Independence Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Independence Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Independence Elementary