The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Edison Elem.
Edison Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in St. Joseph, Missouri. It is one of the elementary schools within the St. Joseph School District. The school’s enrollment is diverse, with a student body that includes a substantial share of students who are white, alongside notable populations of students who are Black, Hispanic, or identify with two or more races. Every student at Edison qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic circumstances of the families it serves.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school’s performance presents a mixed picture that parents will want to examine by grade level. In third grade, a majority of students met or exceeded the proficiency standard in English language arts, which is a relative bright spot. However, by fifth grade, the share of students scoring proficient or above in English language arts dropped considerably, and the same grade also posted a low proficiency rate in mathematics. Third and fourth grade math results were stronger, with roughly two in five students meeting the benchmark, but sixth grade math data was suppressed, and overall the school’s proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared with all tested grades across the district. A family considering Edison should be aware that academic attainment in the upper elementary grades, particularly in math and reading, is a soft spot that merits a conversation with the school about curriculum and support.
The school itself is situated in a mid-sized Missouri River city with a significant industrial base. St. Joseph has a diversified economy centered on food processing, animal health pharmaceuticals, and heavy equipment manufacturing, with major employers including a large healthcare system, meatpacking plants, and the school district itself. The city’s population has seen a gradual decline in recent years, but its manufacturing sector remains robust. Housing in the area is affordable relative to national benchmarks, and rents are modest, which may be a consideration for families deciding where to live and enroll.
The St. Joseph School District passed a bond issue and operating levy in recent years and is in the process of a district-wide grade reconfiguration that will take effect in the upcoming school year, converting one high school into a middle school and one middle school into an elementary school. This reshuffling of school buildings and grade alignments could mean that Edison’s feeder patterns or building assignments may shift, so parents should confirm current attendance boundaries and future plans directly with the district.
Because Edison serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not offer high-school-level programming like Advanced Placement or career and technical pathways; those are accessed at the secondary level in the district. Student discipline data, chronic absenteeism rates, and staffing ratios were not available in the data provided, so a reader interested in school climate or class sizes would need to pursue that information from the school or district office.
Overall, Edison Elementary is a neighborhood school in a stable industrial city with a diverse student population and near-universal economic need. Its academic results are uneven, with stronger early literacy in third grade and more challenging outcomes in upper elementary math and reading. Families weighing their options will want to learn about the school’s specific instructional strategies for the later elementary years and how the district’s reconfiguration might affect their child’s pathway through the St. Joseph schools.
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