The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Parkwood Elem.
Parkwood Elementary is a regular public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Pattonville R-III district, located in Maryland Heights, a second-ring suburb of St. Louis. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, and the student body is racially and economically diverse. White students and Black students each make up roughly a third of the population, with a noticeable share of students who identify as two or more races, a smaller but present Hispanic population, and small numbers of Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that signals a school serving many families with modest incomes.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year give a clear picture of academic performance. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced was modest in third grade, lower in fourth grade, and modest again in fifth grade. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: third grade showed a moderate proficiency rate, fourth grade dropped noticeably, and fifth grade returned to a moderate level. Science, tested only in fifth grade, was the lowest area, with a small proportion of students reaching proficiency. These results place the school’s overall proficiency below the midpoint among all districts in St. Louis County, a comparison that accounts for performance across tested subjects and grades. The trend data and change calculations were not available, so it is not possible to say whether these outcomes represent improvement or decline from prior years.
Several pieces of information that families often use to evaluate a school are missing from the available data. There is no reported rate of chronic absenteeism, no information on special education or English learner enrollment, no discipline data, and no staffing or class size numbers. Parents who want to understand the school’s climate and support systems may need to ask the school directly about these topics.
Maryland Heights itself is a suburban city with a strong mix of residential neighborhoods and major employment centers. Several Fortune-class companies, including Edward Jones, World Wide Technology, and Charter Communications, have a presence here. The city does not have a traditional downtown; instead, commercial and civic life is scattered among nodes like Westport Plaza, the Riverport entertainment area, and the city’s community center. Housing values and rents in the area are broadly consistent with middle-market costs in the St. Louis region, and the local market shows a modest supply and demand balance. The city has seen a slight population decline since the 2020 census, but development continues with recent investments in community recreation facilities and ice sports venues.
The Pattonville district, to which Parkwood belongs, operates several schools within Maryland Heights and surrounding areas. No recent parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, bond issues, or tax referendums were found in publicly available sources, so families may want to reach out to the district directly for information on upcoming plans or current initiatives.
For a family considering Parkwood Elementary, the school offers a racially and economically mixed peer environment in a suburban setting with good access to jobs and amenities. The academic proficiency numbers are below typical levels for St. Louis County, particularly in fourth grade and in fifth-grade science, though third-grade reading showed a somewhat brighter spot. With no data on student support services, attendance patterns, or class sizes, a parent may want to investigate those areas further with the school to get a fuller sense of the day-to-day experience. The school’s grade span through fifth means students will move on to a middle school elsewhere in the district after completing Parkwood.
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