The top reported proficiency rate is 86% in English language arts. The lowest is 82% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on James E. Freer Elem.
James E. Freer Elementary is an early-primary school serving prekindergarten through second grade in the Windsor C-1 district, located in the unincorporated community of Barnhart in Jefferson County, Missouri. Because the school’s grade band ends at second grade, state testing data is available only for third grade, which means no current test results directly measure this school’s students. The data does include results from a past year when third graders were tested at the building, and those numbers show a strong majority of students scored at or above the proficient level in both reading and math, with full participation. That single snapshot is the only academic performance data available for the school.
Enrollment is in the upper hundreds, distributed fairly evenly across kindergarten through second grade, with a prekindergarten program that also enrolls a substantial number of children. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with small shares of students who identify as Hispanic, two or more races, Black, or Asian. About three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which falls below the share seen in many neighboring districts. The school is a regular public school and does not operate as a charter or magnet. Information on special education and English learner populations was not provided.
The comparison fact-set places the school’s overall proficiency index in the top quartile among districts in Jefferson County. This ranking draws on the past testing data from within the school and should be interpreted with the understanding that the tested grade was third, which is not this school’s primary focus. The comparison set is Jefferson County districts, a dozen in total.
Barnhart sits in the suburban stretch south of St. Louis, along the Mississippi River. The area is largely residential, with a mix of older single-family homes and newer subdivisions, and a modest commercial corridor along Highway 61. Housing values in the zip code are roughly in line with the Missouri statewide typical home value and have seen a moderate increase over the past year. The local housing market is more expensive than the national typical home value, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is higher than the estimated rent for a comparable unit, suggesting that buying requires a stronger income relative to renting. Unemployment nationally has been steady at a low level, and inflation in rental costs has been gradual.
In 2024, Windsor C-1 voters approved an operating tax levy increase, a measure publicly reported to generate additional annual revenue for district operations. That change has a lasting impact on property taxes for residents in the district’s boundaries, which include Barnhart and surrounding unincorporated areas.
For a family considering this school, the main takeaway is that James E. Freer is a dedicated early-elementary building that feeds into other district schools for grades three and up. Its academic track record from a past testing year was strong, though a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how current programming for prekindergarten through second grade supports early literacy and numeracy. The student body is economically diverse but has fewer students from low-income backgrounds than many Jefferson County schools. The local housing market is relatively expensive for the region, and the recent property tax increase means homeowners will see a higher levy. The school itself provides a small, grade-specific environment for the youngest students, a structure that suits families who want a school focused entirely on early childhood and primary education before transitioning to a larger elementary building.
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