The top reported proficiency rate is 5% in English language arts. The lowest is 2% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highland Elem.
Highland Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Riverview Gardens School District. It sits within the city of St. Louis, an independent city with a wide mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial districts. Major regional employers include the Federal Reserve Bank, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and large medical and research universities. The city is anchored by cultural institutions such as the Gateway Arch, Forest Park, and the Saint Louis Zoo.
The school draws its student body from the surrounding area, a community where the typical home value is far below county and national benchmarks. Housing values have declined very recently, while rents have increased.
Enrollment at Highland is relatively small for an elementary school. The student population is overwhelmingly Black, with a very small share of Hispanic and white students. Every single student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals a high level of economic need across the building.
On the 2024-25 Missouri Assessment Program tests, most of the reported results were suppressed by the state. That means the proficiency counts for many grade-level and subject combinations were too small to be publicly reported, a common occurrence in small schools with very low performance. For the grade and subject results that were published, the proficiency rates were extremely low. In third-grade reading, only a small fraction of students met the state’s proficient or advanced benchmark, and the rate was even lower for fourth-grade reading. Fifth-grade reading was similar. In third-grade math, proficiency was also minimal. Fourth-grade and fifth-grade math results, as well as fifth-grade science results, were all suppressed. When compared across districts in St. Louis County, Highland’s overall proficiency index lands in the bottom quartile, well below the middle of the pack.
The school’s Riverview Gardens district has a significant recent history. The district had been unaccredited, which under Missouri law meant it had to pay for students to transfer to accredited neighboring districts. It received provisional accreditation in 2020, a change that directly affects property values and family decisions about moving into the area. This history is important context for anyone considering the school.
Because Highland is an elementary school serving only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism was available in the information provided. The school’s staffing, discipline, and course access details also were not part of the available data.
For a family looking at this school, the academic picture is clear. State test results show a school where the vast majority of students are not currently reaching grade-level benchmarks in reading or math. A parent should expect to look into how the school supports foundational skills and whether there are interventions in place. The Riverview Gardens district’s accreditation history is also a key factor to investigate directly with the district, as it affects both school operations and the options families have.
This is a school serving a community with deep economic challenges, and its results are consistent with that context. It is not a school that will be a fit for every family. A parent considering Highland would want to speak with the principal, visit classrooms, and understand what academic support and enrichment the school offers within the constraints of a small, high-need building in a district still rebuilding its standing.
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