The top reported proficiency rate is 15% in Science. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on The Biome
The Biome is a public charter elementary school in St. Louis, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates as its own single-school district, a structure that concentrates governance and accountability at the school level. A parent considering this school should know that it recently changed sponsors, with Saint Louis University taking over that role in 2025. For a charter school, a sponsor change is a meaningful event; it affects oversight and can signal a shift in strategic direction. The school’s per-student revenue has grown over recent years and sits above the state median, which can support program investments and staffing.
The school is located on Olive Street in St. Louis, an independent city with a diverse economy anchored by major employers such as Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and several Fortune companies. The city is also home to major research universities, including Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University, which now sponsors the school. Cultural and civic anchors like Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo, and the Missouri Botanical Garden are part of the broader community context.
The Biome serves a small elementary enrollment, with students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The student body is predominantly Black, with a small share of white students and a small share of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source data.
State assessment results from the Missouri Assessment Program are available for the most recent school year, and they show low proficiency rates across tested subjects and grades. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the single digits for third and fifth grades, and in the mid-teens for fourth grade. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was in the mid-teens for third grade and in the low teens for fourth grade; the fifth-grade result was suppressed. In science, the share of fifth graders scoring proficient or above was in the mid-teens. When compared with other districts in St. Louis city, The Biome’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the academic support and intervention strategies in place.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism was also not available. The school does not serve high school grades, so measures like college readiness or career pathways do not apply here.
The school’s enrollment is small, and the student body is almost entirely Black, with a very small number of white students and students of other racial backgrounds. The high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch points to a community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source data.
The school is a regular public charter school, not a magnet or alternative school. It is not a Title I school, though the data did not specify whether that status was not applicable or simply not reported. The school’s small size and single-district structure mean that families considering The Biome are choosing a relatively contained environment with a focused elementary program. The low assessment results and the recent sponsor change are both factors a family would want to explore directly with the school to understand current academic supports and the direction under new oversight.
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