The top reported proficiency rate is 17% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mullanphy Botanical Gardens
Mullanphy Botanical Gardens is a regular public elementary school in St. Louis, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the St. Louis City school district. The school’s name suggests a connection to the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the city’s established cultural institutions, though no program information was available in the data to confirm how that connection plays out in the classroom or curriculum.
The school sits within St. Louis, an independent city with a diverse economy built around service, manufacturing, trade, transportation, and aviation. Major employers include the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, alongside research universities such as Washington University and Saint Louis University. Civic and cultural anchors like the Gateway Arch, Forest Park, the Saint Louis Zoo, the City Museum, and the Missouri Botanical Garden shape the broader community a family would experience.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school’s results across the tested grades of third through fifth show proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science that fall below the midpoint relative to other districts in St. Louis city. The pattern is consistent: a small share of students met the proficiency benchmark in each subject and grade level. Only a single year of data was available, so there is no basis to judge whether performance is improving or declining over time. Because the school serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and students in pre-kindergarten through second grade are not part of state testing.
The student body reflects a high level of economic need, with every student qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially, the enrollment is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic and White students, along with a very small number of Asian students and students identifying as two or more races. Information about students with disabilities and English learners was not included in the available records.
As a regular public school, Mullanphy Botanical Gardens does not carry a charter or magnet designation. The data did not include information about Title I status, program offerings, staffing ratios, discipline patterns, or attendance rates. These are practical areas a parent would want to explore directly with the school, particularly around academic interventions, enrichment activities, and what supports are in place for students who need extra help.
Housing in the surrounding area shows home values and rents near national benchmarks. The typical home value is slightly below the national figure, while rents are slightly above it. Home values in the area have seen a modest decline over the past year, while rents have increased. The estimated monthly mortgage payment comes in below the typical rent, which may make buying more attainable than renting in this part of St. Louis.
For a family evaluating this school, the central question is how the school’s academic supports and any community partnerships address the challenges visible in the assessment data. The level of economic need among students is a defining feature of the school’s context. A conversation with the school about improvement efforts, family engagement, and resources for students would give a clearer picture of the day-to-day experience a child would have.
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