Schools in St. Louis
St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) enrolled approximately 18,284 students and posted a graduation rate of approximately 69%, down from 78% five years earlier -- a real, disclosed decline this record does not soften -- though accreditation itself was fully restored in 2017 after a 2007 loss, and performance varies substantially by school type within the district.
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Learn moreSLPS's Real, Disclosed Graduation-Rate Decline
St. Louis Public Schools' four-year graduation rate fell to approximately 69%, down from 78% over the preceding five school years -- a real, honest decline this record states plainly. SLPS also ranked within the bottom 50% of Missouri's 553 school districts on combined math and reading proficiency, per 2022-23 testing data.
A Real Accreditation Recovery Story, Distinct From the Recent Graduation-Rate Trend
The Missouri State Board of Education classified SLPS as unaccredited in 2007, before voting unanimously to return full accreditation in January 2017 -- a real, multi-year recovery this record states plainly and does not conflate with the more recent, separately-disclosed graduation-rate decline above; the two are different metrics on different timelines.
Performance Varies Substantially by School Type Within SLPS
Within SLPS, selective magnet high schools consistently post the highest adjusted-cohort graduation rates in the city, followed by charter schools, open magnets, and then neighborhood high schools -- a real, disclosed internal spread families should understand rather than assume a single districtwide figure applies to any specific school a child might actually attend.
SLPS Serves Only the City -- St. Louis County Has Its Own, Separate Districts
As detailed on the base record's governance data, the separately-governed St. Louis County that surrounds the city on three sides contains numerous distinct, separately-run suburban school districts entirely outside SLPS's boundaries and governance -- including several, such as Clayton and Kirkwood, cited among the region's stronger performers. A move to 'the St. Louis area' broadly does not mean SLPS necessarily serves the address.
Confirm a Specific Address's Assigned School and District Directly
Given the real complexity of the city-vs-county split and SLPS's own internal performance variation by school type, families should confirm both a specific address's assigned school AND which district serves it directly with the relevant district or the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rather than assuming either SLPS's citywide figures or a county suburb's reputation applies uniformly.
Key takeaways
- SLPS's four-year graduation rate fell to approximately 69%, down from 78% five years earlier -- a real, disclosed decline this record states plainly.
- SLPS's accreditation was fully restored in January 2017 after a 2007 loss -- a real, separate, multi-year recovery story distinct from the more recent graduation-rate decline.
- Performance varies substantially within SLPS by school type: magnet schools consistently outperform charter, open-magnet, and neighborhood high schools.
- SLPS serves only the City of St. Louis -- separately-governed St. Louis County contains its own, distinct suburban school districts (including Clayton and Kirkwood, cited among the region's stronger performers).
- Confirm a specific address's assigned school AND district directly -- the city-vs-county split and SLPS's internal performance variation both matter substantially.
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