CARDEN PARK ELEM

CARDEN PARK ELEM, a large elementary school in St. Joseph, Missouri, one of the schools within ST. JOSEPH, serves 638 students, covering grades K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 315 students per school, that is 103% above typical.

Within ST. JOSEPH, which oversees 22 schools and 10,430 students, CARDEN PARK ELEM is one campus in the system.

For racial and ethnic makeup, CARDEN PARK ELEM shows that the most-represented group is White (53%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest breaks down as 21% Hispanic, 16% multiracial, 6% Black, 3% Pacific Islander. The wider county runs roughly 81% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school employs 53 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.1:1. The state averages about 12.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 100% of students at CARDEN PARK ELEM qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Buchanan County runs at roughly 69%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), CARDEN PARK ELEM tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 49.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 41.4%.

In the broader community, Buchanan County reports that median household income runs about $62,158, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. CARDEN PARK ELEM is one of 36 public schools in Buchanan County (combined enrollment of about 11,825 students).

The closest other public school is HELEN M DAVIS SCHOOL, roughly 1.1 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, CARDEN PARK ELEM comes 4th of 6 in the immediate cluster, below the nearby-schools average of 42.3%.

CARDEN PARK ELEM operates from an inner-city location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 9%: 700 students in 2018 compared to 638 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 68% to 53% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 13.7:1 in 2018 to 12.1:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.