The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Science. The lowest is 67% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Spoede Elementary
Spoede Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in the Ladue School District, a system in St. Louis County that encompasses the city of St. Louis. The school itself is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. It enrolls several hundred students across five grade levels, with third and fourth grades being the largest classes.
Academically, state assessment results show a pattern of strong performance. On the Missouri Assessment Program, a substantial majority of students scored at the proficient or advanced level in both math and English language arts across the tested grades. Performance in math was higher than in English language arts in both grade three and grade four. When compared to other school districts within St. Louis County, Spoede Elementary’s overall proficiency index places it in the top fourth of the county’s districts, a clear sign of high average achievement at this school. Because the school ends at fourth grade, it does not have a graduation rate, and state testing in science was not reported for recent years.
The student body is diverse. About half of the students are white, with Asian students comprising roughly a fifth and Black students about a sixth. Hispanic students and students of two or more races make up most of the rest. The share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is modest, meaning the school serves a predominantly higher-income population. Data on special education eligibility and English learner status were not available in the records reviewed.
The school sits within the Ladue School District, which completed a significant renovation project in 2024. Voters had approved a bond referendum several years earlier to fund major facility upgrades across the district, and Spoede Elementary was one of the four elementary schools that received a full renovation. This means the physical building has recently been updated, a factor that matters for families considering the quality of the learning environment.
The surrounding housing market reflects the area’s relative affluence. Home values in the zip code are well above the national benchmark, and rents are correspondingly high. The county-level data shows a typical balance between buyer demand and housing supply, with homes going under contract at a pace that suggests a competitive but not overheated market.
St. Louis, where the school is located, is an independent city with a diversified economy anchored by major employers including the Federal Reserve Bank, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, as well as several research universities. The city offers numerous cultural institutions such as the Gateway Arch, Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo, and several museums and gardens. The city’s political boundaries were set decades ago when it separated from St. Louis County, and its population has shifted over time.
For a family considering Spoede Elementary, the key picture is a well-resourced elementary school in a district that has recently invested in its facilities, serving a student body that scores well above most of the region on state tests. The school’s modest share of students qualifying for subsidized lunch and its high housing costs mean the community around it is generally affluent. Parents looking for a strong academic start in a small, neighborhood-style elementary setting will find a school that delivers high proficiency rates, though the limited grade span means they will need to plan for a transition to a separate middle school after fourth grade. The lack of publicly reported data on special education and English learner services is a gap a parent may want to explore directly with the school to see if those programs match their child’s needs.
See more original research from School Decision →