Parents mulling over the best area of Missouri in which to raise their children need look no further than the communities of St. Louis County, as all of the state’s five best public school districts are located within its limits.

The #1 ranked public school system in Missouri is Ladue School District, administering four elementaries, one middle, and one high school in Ladue, MO, a small suburb of St. Louis with the highest median income of any city in Missouri. The district is among the elite in the state, with 82% of students achieving reading proficiency.

Placing second is the School District of Clayton, serving Clayton and parts of Richmond Heights and St. Louis City. Clayton High School has been repeatedly recognized by Newsweek as one of the nation’s best public high schools.

Ranking third is Lindbergh Schools, a system of six elementaries, two middle schools and one high school based in southwest St. Louis County. Lindbergh Senior High’s 96% graduation rate places it among the top high schools in the state.

Kirkwood School District, founded in 1865 and one of the oldest districts in the state, follows at #4. A planned suburb with a wonderful historic district, bustling farmer’s market, and tree-lined residential areas, Kirkwood is a great community in which to raise a family.

Brentwood School District, with its four high-achieving schools and early childhood center, rounds out the top five.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?