St. Joseph School District
St Joseph, Missouri · Buchanan County · Grades Pre-K–12
St. Joseph School District runs 22 schools (13 elementary, 4 middle, 3 high, 2 pre-k) with 10,430 students. By enrollment it is the 17th largest of 556 districts in Missouri, where the median district has 566 students. NCES classifies its area as city, small.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank compares the 556 Missouri districts listed on this site.
District at a glance
| Schools | 22 |
| Students | 10,430 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 804.4 |
| Students per teacher | 13 (state 12.8) |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 74.4% (state 49.2%) |
| County | Buchanan County |
| Area type | City, small |
| NCES district ID | 2927060 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, totals of the district's schools. Students per teacher = students ÷ full-time-equivalent teachers.
Schools in St. Joseph
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton High School | High | 9–12 | 682 | 13.4 | 46.9% |
| Bode Middle School | Middle | 7–8 | 488 | 11.8 | 40.6% |
| Carden Park Elementary School | Elementary | K–6 | 638 | 12.1 | 99.8% |
| Central High School | High | 9–12 | 1,733 | 16.4 | 37.6% |
| Coleman Elementary School | Elementary | K–6 | 388 | 12.2 | 100% |
| Edison Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–6 | 362 | 11.6 | 100% |
| Ellison Elementary School | Elementary | K–6 | 343 | 14.6 | 38.2% |
| Field Elementary School | Elementary | K–6 | 336 | 15.8 | 52.4% |
| Hosea Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 422 | 13.1 | 100% |
| Hyde Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 352 | 13.3 | 100% |
| Lafayette High School | High | 9–12 | 644 | 12.2 | 100% |
| Lake Early Learning Center | Pre-K | Pre-K | 211 | 10.8 | 51.7% |
| Lindbergh Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 431 | 11.9 | 100% |
| Mark Twain Early Learning Cntr | Pre-K | Pre-K | 232 | 12.3 | 47.4% |
| Oak Grove Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–6 | 502 | 14.4 | 32.9% |
| Parkway Elementary School | Elementary | K–6 | 438 | 13.6 | 100% |
| Pershing Elementary School | Elementary | K–6 | 285 | 13.9 | 100% |
| Pickett Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–6 | 250 | 11.2 | 100% |
| Robidoux Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 405 | 13.5 | 100% |
| Skaith Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–6 | 398 | 14.2 | 100% |
| Spring Garden Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 404 | 14.1 | 100% |
| Truman Middle School | Middle | 7–8 | 486 | 13.1 | 100% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25.
Map of St. Joseph schools
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
St. Joseph in context
Size
St. Joseph School District enrolls 1.2% of Missouri's 885,129 public school students and is larger than the median district (566 students). The largest of its schools is Central High School with 1,733 students, and the smallest is Lake Early Learning Center with 211; the average is 474, against 386 statewide.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment. Share = district students ÷ all students in Missouri schools listed here; averages = students ÷ schools.
Grades
Its largest grade this year is grade 3, with 802 students. Grade 12 has 722 students and kindergarten has 702, within 10% of each other. St. Joseph enrolls 443 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade, all schools in the district.
Students
White students are the largest group in St. Joseph at 62%, below their 66.9% share of Missouri public school students. Hispanic students make up 14.5%.
74.4% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 49.2% statewide. By school, the share runs from 32.9% at Oak Grove Elementary School to 100% at Truman Middle School. 14 of its 22 schools serve free meals to every student under the Community Eligibility Provision or Provision 2 or 3; at the others, families apply based on income.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District and state shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Staff
Its 804.4 full-time-equivalent teachers work out to 13 students per teacher, close to the state's 12.8. With 34.8 counselors it has 300 students per counselor; the median Missouri district has 265, and the American School Counselor Association recommends no more than 250. It reports 4.8 librarians or media specialists and 4 school psychologists.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file (full-time equivalents). Students per counselor = district students ÷ counselors. Benchmark: American School Counselor Association, 250 students per counselor.
Location
St. Joseph is based inside a principal city of fewer than 100,000 people, an area NCES calls city, small. The nearest district is Avenue City R-IX School District, 7.9 miles away with 229 students. 13 districts are within 25 miles, and 0 of them enroll more students than St. Joseph. Buchanan County has 3 districts on this site.
Source: NCES EDGE locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines between the average locations of each district's schools.
Staff
| Role | Full-time equivalent | Students per staff member |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers | 804.4 | 13 |
| School counselors | 34.8 | 300 |
| Librarians and media specialists | 4.8 | 2,173 |
| School psychologists | 4 | 2,608 |
| Instructional aides | 158.6 | 66 |
| Other student support staff | 115.2 | 91 |
| School administrators | 41.8 | 250 |
| District administrators | 12.1 | 862 |
| All staff | 1,216.2 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 district staff file. Students per staff member = district students ÷ full-time-equivalent staff in that role. The median Missouri district has 265 students per counselor.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 62% |
| Hispanic | 14.5% |
| Two or more races | 12.6% |
| Black | 6.3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 2.5% |
| Asian | 1.9% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership, all schools in the district.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 443 |
| Kindergarten | 702 |
| Grade 1 | 794 |
| Grade 2 | 778 |
| Grade 3 | 802 |
| Grade 4 | 755 |
| Grade 5 | 770 |
| Grade 6 | 750 |
| Grade 7 | 782 |
| Grade 8 | 795 |
| Grade 9 | 784 |
| Grade 10 | 778 |
| Grade 11 | 775 |
| Grade 12 | 722 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Nearby school districts
| District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Calendar 2026–2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avenue City R-IX School District | 8 mi | 229 | 12.9 | – |
| Mid-Buchanan County R-V School District | 9 mi | 891 | 14 | – |
| Savannah R-III School District | 10 mi | 2,390 | 14.6 | – |
| East Buchanan County C-1 (025076) School District | 14 mi | 689 | 11.8 | – |
| Buchanan County R-IV School District | 14 mi | 277 | 10.1 | – |
| Stewartsville C-2 School District | 17 mi | 246 | 11.1 | – |
| North Platte County R-I School District | 19 mi | 556 | 11.9 | – |
| North Andrew County R-VI School District | 19 mi | 273 | 7.9 | – |
Distance between the average locations of each district's schools (NCES EDGE).
Other school districts in Buchanan County
- Mid-Buchanan County R-V School District (891 students)
- Buchanan County R-IV School District (277 students)
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25, county of each district's office.
Contact
1415 North 26th Street, St Joseph, MO 64506
Phone: (816)671-4000
Website: sjsd.k12.mo.us
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory.