The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in Science. The lowest is 50% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Selvidge Middle
Selvidge Middle School sits in Ballwin, a primarily residential western suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County. The city is car-dependent, built around single-family subdivisions and strip commercial corridors along roads like Manchester Road. There is no traditional downtown; civic life centers on the municipal campus near The Pointe at Ballwin Commons community center. Ballwin is served by both the Parkway and Rockwood school districts, but Selvidge is part of Rockwood R-VI.
The school itself is a regular public middle school enrolling grades six through eight. Its student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Asian share and smaller Black, Hispanic, and multiracial populations. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, lower than many schools in the county. The school is not a charter, nor does it appear to have a magnet or Title I designation.
Academically, Selvidge sits above the midpoint among districts in St. Louis County on an overall proficiency index that averages tested subjects and grades. The Missouri Assessment Program results across math, English language arts, and science show a mixed picture. In math, proficiency in sixth and seventh grades is solid, with a clear majority of students meeting the state’s proficient or advanced bar. Eighth-grade math is a soft spot, with proficiency below the school’s own performance in earlier grades. In English language arts, the pattern is stronger: a majority of seventh and eighth graders reach proficiency, while sixth-grade ELA is near the midpoint. In science, which is tested only in eighth grade, a majority of students are proficient. A parent may want to understand why math proficiency drops at the eighth-grade level and whether there are specific supports in place for that cohort.
No data was available for chronic absenteeism, which means a parent cannot assess this school’s attendance patterns from the information here. Staffing data and discipline records were also absent.
Selvidge is a middle school and does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Housing in Ballwin’s ZIP code has a typical home value and rent that are above the national median but within the reach of many middle-class families. The county-wide housing market shows a moderate number of active and pending listings, with median listing prices slightly below the national benchmark. A parent considering a move should know that Ballwin offers a range of housing types, from single-family homes to apartments, all within a stable suburban market.
The Rockwood district has made recent investments that affect Selvidge families. Voters passed two no-tax-rate-increase bond issues in recent years: a large one in 2024 to fund a new elementary school, safety upgrades, HVAC work, and technology across the district, and a similar earlier bond in 2022 for safety entrances, technology, HVAC, and facility renovations. These capital projects will shape the physical environment of the schools for years. Academically, the district shifted to a science-of-reading-based literacy curriculum in elementary schools starting in the 2023-2024 school year, a change that will affect students as they move up through the system.
For a family, Selvidge Middle School presents a solid academic picture in a stable, western suburban setting. The school’s strengths are its above-average proficiency in most tested areas, particularly in ELA, and a student body that is not high-poverty by local standards. The main open question is the drop in eighth-grade math performance, which is worth a direct conversation with the school. The broader district context of recent bond-funded improvements and a new literacy curriculum suggests a system investing in its infrastructure and basic instruction. Ballwin itself offers a conventional suburban life with parks, a golf course, and a community center, but no walkable downtown and limited public transit. A family that values straightforward suburban living and a school performing solidly relative to its county peers will find Selvidge a reasonable option.
See more original research from School Decision →