Best Public Schools in Zip Code 64053

The 64053 zip code area in Missouri is home to two schools - Van Horn High School and Fairmount Elementary School, both of which serve the local community. While the schools share some similarities, they also face distinct challenges in terms of academic performance and student demographics.

Van Horn High School is the only high school in the 64053 zip code, with a relatively large enrollment of 1,113 students. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom third of Missouri high schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. Despite maintaining a high 4-year graduation rate of 92.3% and a low dropout rate of 1.3%, Van Horn High struggles with low proficiency rates on state assessments, significantly below the state and district averages. In contrast, Fairmount Elementary School, the sole elementary school in the area, has a much smaller enrollment of 330 students but faces similar academic challenges, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and proficiency rates well below the state and district averages.

Both Van Horn High School and Fairmount Elementary School have high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 79.16% and 84.85%, respectively, indicating significant socioeconomic challenges in the community. Additionally, both schools struggle with high chronic absenteeism rates of 31.7%, which may be contributing to their academic struggles. Despite the academic and socioeconomic challenges, the schools appear to have similar levels of per-student spending and student-teacher ratios, suggesting that the issue may not be a lack of resources but rather how those resources are being utilized or the specific needs of the student population.