The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in Science. The lowest is 61% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on North Glendale Elem.
North Glendale Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Kirkwood, Missouri, part of the Kirkwood R-VII district. The school sits in an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, a community founded as the first planned residential commuter suburb west of the Mississippi River. Kirkwood remains largely residential with high property values, a compact historic downtown, and deed restrictions that historically barred industrial development. The district itself, chartered in the nineteenth century, is the oldest in St. Louis County.
On state tests, North Glendale’s students show proficiency at a level that places the school in the top quartile among districts in St. Louis County, a comparison set that includes twenty-four districts. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above rises across grade levels, with a notably strong result in fifth grade. In English language arts, third and fourth graders also perform at a solid level; the fifth-grade ELA result was suppressed for privacy reasons, which occurs when small group sizes prevent reliable reporting. The science result for fifth graders is similarly strong. These scores indicate a school where most students are meeting or exceeding state standards by the time they leave for middle school.
The student body is predominantly white, with about one in ten students identifying as Black and smaller shares as Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the high income levels in the community. Enrollment numbers are stable across grades, with each grade level from kindergarten through fifth carrying a similar number of students. The school is not a charter or magnet, and Title I status was not provided in the data.
The housing market around the school commands high prices. Typical home values in the area are well above state and national medians, and rents are correspondingly high. The county-level market shows a mix of active listings and pending sales, with homes spending a moderate number of days on market. The broader economic context includes mortgage rates in the mid-single digits and a national unemployment rate just above four percent. Families moving to the area should expect a competitive market for a mature, built-out suburb with limited new development.
Kirkwood itself offers a walkable downtown with a historic train station, a farmers’ market, a public library, and multiple parks including a central park with an aquatic center and ice rink. The city operates its own utilities and employs a sizable municipal workforce. Civic life is centered downtown, while school campuses, including North Glendale, are spread across residential neighborhoods. Transit access includes an Amtrak stop and MetroBus service.
The district has made two recent, publicly reported changes that affect elementary families. In April 2025, voters approved a bond issue to fund capital improvements including safety upgrades, HVAC replacements, and classroom additions, structured so the debt service tax rate does not increase. In November 2024, the Board of Education adopted a new K-5 literacy curriculum based on the science of reading, which began in the 2025–2026 school year. This replaces the previous program and will shape how all elementary students in the district learn to read.
Data on chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, discipline rates, and special education or English learner populations were not available in the provided material. For a fuller picture of student support, a parent may want to ask the school directly about these areas. North Glendale serves its elementary grades with strong academic results in a well-resourced, stable community, and families moving to the Kirkwood area will find a school that fits a predominantly middle-to-upper-income residential setting.
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