The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Marion Elem.
Marion Elementary is a regular public school in the Ritenour School District, serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the St. Louis area. It is one of the district’s elementary schools and sits in a community that has a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial districts, with a diverse economy anchored by major employers in healthcare, research, and federal agencies. The school itself is not a charter or magnet, and it operates as a neighborhood school.
State test results from the Missouri Assessment Program give a clear picture of where this school stands academically. Proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science are generally lower than what many families expect to see, and the school’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint when compared with other districts in St. Louis County. In math, the share of students scoring at proficient or above varies by grade, with fourth graders performing noticeably better than third and fifth graders. A similar pattern appears in reading: fourth grade stands out relative to the other grades, but overall proficiency remains modest. Fifth-grade science scores follow the same trend. The school does not serve grades that are tested in high school, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Every student at Marion Elementary qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a strong indicator that the school serves a high-poverty population. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with students of Hispanic background making up the largest group, followed by Black students, then White students, and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races or as Asian. No data was reported on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those services. The school’s website and directory do not list specific program offerings beyond the standard curriculum, so that is another area a family might explore with the principal.
Housing in the area around the school is relatively affordable compared to national benchmarks. Home values in the ZIP code are below the state median, and rents are modest. The county housing market has seen a slight increase in active listings recently, and median listing prices have eased somewhat, making this part of St. Louis County a reasonably accessible market for families. The school’s location in the city of St. Louis puts it within reach of major civic and cultural anchors such as Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, though the immediate neighborhood mix is more residential.
On the district side, a review of recent public records turned up no evidence of major referendums, tax shifts, or curriculum changes in the Ritenour School District that would have a lasting impact. Parents considering Marion Elementary will want to weigh the academic outcomes against the level of need the school is supporting. The school does not have publicly available data on chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or discipline, so those are open questions best answered by a visit or a conversation with the school leadership. For a family focused on a supportive environment in a diverse, high-poverty school, Marion Elementary provides a standard elementary program, but the test scores suggest that many students are not yet reaching grade-level benchmarks, and a parent should expect to be an active partner in their child’s learning.
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