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Very Good

#591 of 2,221 schools in MO

Top 27% in state

Ellison Elem.

Elementary School · St. Joseph · St. Joseph, MO

A St. Joseph elementary school where students score 13 points above what's typical for similar communities.

45 SE 85TH RD, St. Joseph, MO 64507

  • Math 66% vs MO 48% (2025)
  • Reading 57% vs MO 46% (2025)
  • 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress7.5Very Good50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data16
Annual Change+0.45 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics9.1Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency66.1% (2025 MAP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency56.8% (2025 MAP)
Math vs. State Avg+18.3 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+10.5 pts
Overall Proficiency61% (2025 MAP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)48% (model expectation from 2025 MAP)
vs. Expected+13.4 pts
Adjusted Percentile86th
Resources & Environment4.5Below Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.4:1
District spending per student$12,067
Chronic Absenteeism8.1%

Students at Ellison Elem. score 61% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 48%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MAP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MO average.

Math Proficiency66%(2025 MAP)
School
State
48%(2025 MAP)
ELA Proficiency57%(2025 MAP)
School
State
46%(2025 MAP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 6 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 62% recently.

Show all 16 years
2009
Math
71%
ELA
63%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
67%
2011
Math
75%
ELA
71%
2012
Math
79%
ELA
73%
2013
Math
72%
ELA
62%
2014
Math
61%
ELA
71%
2015
Math
62%
ELA
76%
2016
Math
59%
ELA
73%
2017
Math
62%
ELA
62%
2018
Math
57%
ELA
57%
2019
Math
57%
ELA
57%
2020*
Math
62%
ELA
62%
2021*
Math
62%
ELA
62%
2022
Math
64%
ELA
61%
2024
Math
66%
ELA
56%
2025
Math
66%
ELA
57%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 66% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 63% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 41 test records from MO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

39.4%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Ellison Elem. sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 3Car-Dependent
  • Bike 17Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,597/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (St. Joseph), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$63,014

Median home value

$134,000

Median rent

$890/mo

College educated

22.7%

Homeownership

68.1%

Poverty rate

15.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 64507; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
St Joseph Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition6.2privatePK–123.4 mi385Compare →
St Paul Lutheran SchoolPrivate · tuition4.8privatePK–83.9 mi189Compare →
Oak Grove ElemEnrollment path unverified7.1PK–64.2 mi506Compare →
Skaith Elem.Enrollment path unverified7.2PK–64.6 mi424Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

St. Joseph

Schools in district
25
Rank in district
#4 of 20
District spending per student
$12,067NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
16.2%Census SAIPE · 2024

Ellison Elem. is listed in ST. JOSEPH; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Ellison Elem.

Ellison Elem. is a public elementary school in St. Joseph, MO, part of St. Joseph, serving approximately 360 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 16.4:1 student-teacher ratio.

It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 7.4 out of 10 and ranks #591 of 2,221 schools in MO. State assessment records show 66% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 63% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Ellison Elem.

What grades does Ellison Elem. serve?

Ellison Elem. serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Ellison Elem.?

Ellison Elem. has an enrollment of approximately 360 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ellison Elem.?

The student-teacher ratio at Ellison Elem. is 16.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Ellison Elem. rank in MO?

Ellison Elem. ranks #591 of 2,221 schools in MO.

What is Ellison Elem.'s MySchoolScout rating?

Ellison Elem. has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Ellison Elem.?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ellison Elem. has 66% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 63% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Ellison Elem. a charter school?

No, Ellison Elem. is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Ellison Elem. a Title I school?

No, Ellison Elem. is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Ellison Elem.?

39.4% of students at Ellison Elem. qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 6th
Enrollment
360
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Rural
County
Buchanan County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
8.1%
Area population (ZIP 64507)
14,159
Area average commute
19.5 min
Area median age
34.2
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 64507; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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