The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Barack Obama Elementary School
Barack Obama Elementary School is a regular public school serving grades one through eight within the Normandy Schools Collaborative. It is located in the city of St. Louis, an independent city that separated from St. Louis County in the late 19th century and now functions as its own municipality. St. Louis has a diverse economy anchored by major employers such as the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, along with research universities including Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University. The city’s civic and cultural landmarks, such as Forest Park, the Gateway Arch, and the Saint Louis Zoo, are prominent features of the region.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school’s state testing results for the most recent year show that a small share of students met the proficiency standard. In fourth-grade math, the proficiency rate was very low, and in fifth-grade math it was similarly low. In English language arts, fourth-grade proficiency was low, and fifth-grade proficiency was slightly higher but still low. Science results for fifth grade also showed low proficiency. Third-grade results were suppressed from public reporting. When compared with other districts within St. Louis County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quarter of the county’s school districts. Because the school does not serve high school grades, no graduation rate is available.
The student body is nearly entirely Black, with a small number of Hispanic students and a few students of two or more races. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a student population with high economic need. Enrollment spans grades one through eight and is moderate for a school serving this grade band. No data was provided on students with disabilities or English learners, so those aspects of the student population are not reported here.
Housing in the school’s immediate zip code area is modest in value compared to national benchmarks. In the broader St. Louis County housing market, median listing prices have declined slightly over the past year, and the market shows a mix of supply and demand measures that are relatively balanced.
Within the Normandy Schools Collaborative, voters in 2021 approved a bond issue for long-overdue renovations at Normandy High School, the district’s sole high school. The project includes a new cafeteria, culinary arts suite, entryway, and secured connector, and work is ongoing across multiple halls. The district has also stated it is realigning curriculum to prepare students for both workforce needs and college readiness. No specific program offerings, course access data, or information about the school’s staffing, discipline rates, or attendance patterns were available from the provided data.
For a parent considering this school, the core picture is of a K‑8 building that serves a high-poverty, predominantly Black community and whose state test results are among the lowest in St. Louis County. The school is part of a district that is investing in its high school facilities and updating its curriculum, but details about what the elementary and middle school experience looks like day to day are limited by the data gaps. A family would likely want to visit the school, speak with staff about instructional supports, and learn about how the school addresses the challenges reflected in the testing numbers.
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