The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Northwest Middle
Northwest Middle, a regular public school in the Hazelwood School District, serves students in grades six through eight from the Florissant area of north St. Louis County. It is a middle school only, so there is no graduation rate to report, and the academic picture comes entirely from state assessments given at these grades.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science are low. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced is in the single digits in every tested grade. In English language arts, the rate rises somewhat but still remains in the low teens. Science, tested only in eighth grade, is similarly low. When the school is placed alongside the districts in St. Louis County—the comparison set used here—its overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile. Participation rates on the assessments are high, above nine in ten, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students. Still, any parent reviewing these numbers will see a school where the large majority of students are not meeting grade-level expectations in core subjects.
The student body is around 750, distributed fairly evenly across grades six, seven, and eight. More than two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure of economic disadvantage that is notably above the national average. Racially, about three-quarters of students are Black, roughly one in eight are White, and the remainder are Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the profile.
Florissant is a suburban municipality within the larger St. Louis region, and the housing context for the zip code that serves the school reflects a market that is affordable relative to national benchmarks. Home values are moderate, and rents are below the national median. The broader county housing market shows a slight year-over-year decline in median listing prices, and homes list for a little over a month on average. For families considering moving into the attendance area, the area offers a range of older single-family homes at prices that are accessible compared to much of the metro.
The district, Hazelwood, has publicly reported several recent initiatives that may matter to families with children at this middle school, even if they are not directly tied to Northwest Middle itself. The district adopted a strategic plan for 2023 through 2028 that includes goals for improving student achievement and expanding resources and services for students. It also launched a virtual elementary program, though that applies to younger grades. Pre-K programs are now offered in all elementary schools, a change that could affect siblings or future enrollment but does not bear on the middle school experience.
What is missing from the data may also matter. There is no publicly available information on course access, such as advanced offerings, electives, or enrichment programs, at Northwest Middle. Discipline data, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism are absent from the profile. Parents who want a fuller picture of the school’s daily environment and opportunities would need to inquire directly with the school or district.
Northwest Middle is a school where the student population is predominantly low-income and the vast majority of students are performing below grade level on state tests. For a family whose top priority is a school with strong academic outcomes as measured by those assessments, this school does not fit that profile. For families who are looking for a neighborhood school within a district that has stated ambitions for improvement, or who are weighing other factors like proximity and affordability of housing, this is a realistic starting point that invites further questions about what supports are in place and what the school is doing to address the academic challenges the data reveal.
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