Crossroads Elem., Dardenne Prairie MO

Original Research by School Decision on Crossroads Elem.

Crossroads Elementary sits in Dardenne Prairie, a fast-growing, predominantly residential suburb in St. Charles County. The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the Wentzville R-IV School District, one of three districts whose boundaries intersect this city. Dardenne Prairie’s character is affluent and car-dependent, with a high homeownership rate and a median household income well above national levels. New housing has been in tight supply, and the population has grown steadily over the past two decades, reflecting strong demand. The city lacks a traditional downtown; civic life clusters around City Hall and the athletic complex, while a community college campus provides some institutional anchor. Most residents commute to jobs in nearby O’Fallon or the broader St. Louis metro area.

Crossroads Elementary enrolls a sizable student body for an elementary school. The student population is predominantly white, with Asian and Black students each making up a modest share, and smaller numbers of Hispanic and multiracial students. A small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, consistent with the area’s affluence. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in St. Charles County, a sign of strong academic performance.

State assessment results from 2024–2025 show a mixed but generally solid picture. In math, third graders performed at a level where a substantial majority met the state’s proficiency benchmark. Fourth graders did similarly well. Fifth-grade math dipped notably, with about half of students scoring proficient. In English language arts, fourth graders stood out: a strong majority reached proficiency. Third and fifth graders were more evenly split, though still a majority in both grades scored proficient or above. Science results for fifth graders showed about half achieving proficiency. The dip in fifth-grade math is a soft spot a parent may want to ask the school about, particularly since the earlier grades are stronger.

Because Crossroads is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing were not available in the records reviewed. The district itself had no publicly reported recent changes of note.

The school sits within a community where housing costs are elevated, with home values and rents well above both state and national medians. That financial profile aligns with the low share of students receiving subsidized meals and the high level of parent education typical of the area. Car dependence is the norm; commute times are moderate, and the nearest walkable amenities are limited.

For a family considering this school, the academic picture is a strong one relative to the county, with the caveat that fifth-grade math is a weaker point worth exploring. The peer environment is shaped by a largely white, middle- to upper-middle-income student body. The wider community is growing and well-served by highway access but offers little in the way of a pedestrian-friendly downtown. The school’s programs and extracurricular offerings were not detailed in the available data, so a parent would want to confirm those directly with the school or district.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 52% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 465%

School 65% · District 56% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 47% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 51% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 57% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 53% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 49% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolWENTZVILLE R-IV, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income61%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income19%Higher-income53%34 pp gap