The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 75%.
Original Research by School Decision on The Soulard School
The Soulard School is a small, tuition-free public charter district in St. Louis City serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates as a single-school district, meaning the district and the school are the same entity. The school was originally approved as a charter in a prior year and was renewed in 2024, securing its continued operation through approximately 2029. This renewal gives families a clear horizon for enrollment stability, as charter non-renewal would mean closure. The school’s elementary program transitioned to a charter model in a prior year, making it tuition-free for K-5 students from across the city, while its early childhood program remains independent.
The school is small, with an enrollment that reflects a modest student body for an elementary-only district. The student population is predominantly white, with Black students and students identifying as two or more races each making up a substantial share, and a smaller Hispanic presence. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade, and its size means students and staff are likely to know one another well. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports those populations.
State testing results are limited. The Missouri Assessment Program results for the 2024-25 school year show that for third-grade English language arts, a strong majority of students scored at or above the proficient level. Results for third-grade math, fourth-grade math and English language arts, fifth-grade math, English language arts, and science were suppressed, which often happens when the tested group is small enough that individual students could be identified. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages reported rates across tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile among St. Louis City’s districts. That is a strong position, though the index is based on only one grade and subject where results were not suppressed, so the picture is incomplete. A parent may want to ask the school for a fuller account of how its students perform across all grades and subjects.
Chronic absenteeism is reported at a rate that falls in the top quartile among the city’s districts, meaning the school has a relatively low share of students missing substantial amounts of school. That is a positive sign for consistent classroom engagement. Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range compared to other St. Louis City districts, which may reflect the school’s small size and lean operations as a charter.
The school’s enrollment is small, with roughly even class sizes across kindergarten through fourth grade and a slightly smaller fifth grade. The student body is majority white, with Black students and multiracial students each making up a notable share. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch was not available, nor were counts of students with disabilities or English learners. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the economic and special-education makeup of the student body.
The district is a single school, so there are no feeder patterns or school choice decisions within the district itself. The school’s charter status means it is open to any student in St. Louis City, with admission by lottery if oversubscribed. The district brief notes that the charter was renewed in 2024, which provides a clear horizon of stability for families considering enrollment. The school’s transition to a charter model in a prior year made it tuition-free for elementary students, while its early childhood program remains separate and independent.
Because the district serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The chronic absenteeism rate is low relative to other districts in the city, which suggests that most students are attending school regularly. Per-pupil spending is in the lower range among St. Louis City districts, which may reflect the school’s lean administrative structure as a single-site charter.
The Soulard School is a small, stable option for a St. Louis City family seeking a tuition-free K-5 charter with a strong early-literacy result in third grade and a low rate of chronic absenteeism. The limited testing data means a parent will want to gather more information about academic performance in the upper elementary grades. The school’s size and single-site structure mean that the experience is likely close-knit, and the charter renewal provides a clear runway for families planning ahead.
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