The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in Science. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kingston Elem.
Kingston Elementary serves children in third through fifth grade in the rural, unincorporated community of Cadet, Missouri, part of the Kingston K-14 district. For a parent considering this school, the academic profile, the peer environment, and the community setting each tell a distinct story.
The school’s state assessment results present a mixed picture. In mathematics, fourth graders showed a notably stronger performance on the Missouri MAP than either third or fifth graders, where proficiency was considerably lower. In English language arts, third graders performed at a rate near the midpoint, and fifth graders a bit below it, while the fourth-grade result was suppressed and not available for public reporting. In science, available only for fifth grade, the proficiency rate was in a middle range. When these results are combined into an overall proficiency index, the school places in the top quartile relative to other districts in Washington County. That position says as much about the comparison set as about the school itself: the county has four school districts, and Kingston’s composite is above the typical benchmark for the area. A parent looking at the grade-by-grade swings, particularly the drop in math from fourth to fifth grade, may want to ask the school how it supports students as they move into the upper elementary years.
The student body is small and almost entirely white. Every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which indicates a universally low-income population. That is a plain fact of the school’s economic context, not a judgment on the school or its families, but a parent should understand that the school’s resources and community partnerships may reflect that high-need environment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, and discipline, staffing, and attendance figures were also absent from the record. A parent with a child who receives special education services or has specific academic needs would want to contact the school directly to learn about its support structure.
The community surrounding the school is a dispersed rural settlement along a state highway. Cadet has no town government, no downtown, and no walkable commercial area. Its civic anchor is the post office. The broader region was shaped by lead and barite mining, which has left behind environmental remediation sites but no longer active industry. Housing costs in the area are well below national and state benchmarks, consistent with a stable, slow-changing rural area where agriculture and limited local employment are the economic base. The district brief turned up no evidence of recent curriculum changes, property-tax shifts, or other administrative developments that would be of particular note to families.
For a family already living in Cadet or the surrounding Kingston district attendance zone, this is the neighborhood elementary school, and it offers a straightforward, small-scale elementary program. For a family new to the area, the school reflects the overall character of the community: rural, economically homogeneous, and modest in both resources and results. The proficiency data shows that the school can deliver solid outcomes in some grades and subjects but has room to improve in others. A parent who values small schools in a quiet rural setting may find this a good fit. A parent looking for a school with a more diverse peer group, a wider array of enrichment programs, or a community with more amenities would likely need to look to larger towns or farther afield in Washington County.
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