The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in Math. The lowest is 82% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Parkview Elementary School
Parkview Elementary serves second through fourth grade in Columbia, a residential suburb about a dozen miles south of St. Louis in Monroe County. The school enrolls a small student body for its grade band, spanning a community that has grown steadily over the past two decades but has begun to level off in recent years.
In math, Parkview's proficiency rates for third and fourth graders sit clearly above the median for Monroe County's district schools. Fourth-grade math proficiency outpaces third grade, a common pattern as students progress. English language arts proficiency in fourth grade ranks notably higher still, while third-grade ELA proficiency trails math by a few percentage points, suggesting variation in early reading outcomes. Test participation is near universal in both subjects. The school does not serve fifth grade and above, so testing data for those grades does not apply.
The student body is predominantly white, with small populations of students of Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial background. The school's racial composition mirrors the broader Columbia area, which is demographically homogeneous. Data on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, English learner status, and special education enrollment were not available. These metrics would help round out a full picture of how many students enter with economic or language barriers.
Columbia itself is a mix of older core platted near Main Street and newer subdivisions built over the past couple of decades. Housing values and rental rates sit close to state benchmarks; homeownership is common, and the local economy centers on school employment, light manufacturing, retail, and service work, with many residents also commuting to the St. Louis metro area. The community has seen recent new residential development and is stable, without the rapid growth of a decade ago but without decline either.
The school is one of four in Columbia CUSD 4, a small district where the school system is the largest single employer. The district is currently executing a high school remodel and addition, including a new competition gym, structured to proceed without raising property taxes by timing it to coincide with expiring bond obligations. This reflects the district's financial management and its investment in facilities that will benefit all students moving through the system.
Parkview sits well-positioned academically within its county peer group and operates in a stable, homeowner-oriented community with modest housing costs relative to its region. The school's proficiency profile is strongest in upper-elementary math and reading, with third-grade ELA slightly softer. For a family considering the district, Parkview offers solid academic grounding in the second-through-fourth tier, embedded in a quiet residential setting where most households own homes and schools serve as a central institution.
See more original research from School Decision →