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SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ST. JAMES R-I·NCES 292925001873

LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.

314 S JEFFERSON, ST JAMES, MO 65559 · (573) 265-2300 · Phelps County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL681 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 66% of Missouri public elementary schools
  • B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
  • B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
  • CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.

Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Missouri public elementary schools

Enrollment
681
Elementary
DISTRICT 520 · STATE 315
Student : Teacher
12.0:1
57 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.1:1 · STATE 12.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
52%
353 students
DISTRICT 51% · STATE 54%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.

Enrollment by grade, 2024-25

GradeStudentsShare
Pre-K7411%
Kindergarten9614%
Grade 18713%
Grade 210716%
Grade 310515%
Grade 411216%
Grade 510015%

This year's kindergarten class (96) is about the same size as its 5th grade class (100).

Student demographics
14%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 17% · STATE 52% · US 70%
White
63093%
DISTRICT 91% · STATE 67% · US 43%
Hispanic
183%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 9% · US 30%
Black
122%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 15% · US 15%
Asian
30%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 2% · US 6%
Two+
162%
DISTRICT 3% · STATE 6% · US 5%
Native American
20%
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 0% · US 1%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Male
34150%
Female
34050%

School pathway

Students here typically continue to
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.→ST. JAMES MIDDLE→ST. JAMES HIGH
Based on grade levels within ST. JAMES R-I. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.

Discussions

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Test scores

MAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + Advanced
English Language Arts
46.4%
MO avg 44.9% . -2.0pp since 2021
Math
51.7%
MO avg 43.8% . -3.6pp since 2021

What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 52 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2021, while math scores are down about 4 points.

Performance levels, 2024-25

SubjectAdvancedProficientBasicBelow Basic
English Language Arts18.3%28.1%34.9%18.6%
Math26.8%24.9%26.2%21.9%
Share of tested students at each MAP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.

MAP results by year

School yearEnglish Language ArtsMath
2024-2546.4%51.7%
2023-2443.8%59.7%
2022-2345.9%53.6%
2021-2248.4%55.3%
% Proficient + Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →

BeatsExpectations

Demographically-adjusted score · methodology
Tier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
48.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
40.5%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+8.3pp
above demographic expectation

What this means: About 49% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 40% typical for Missouri schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Missouri's top nor bottom 10%.

BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →

Schools most like LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.

LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.'s state test result (48.8% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 4 schools below with a result.

SchoolStudentsLow-incomeProficient
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. this school68151.8%48.8%
CENTRAL ELEM.
UNION
64352.6%56.2%
MOUNTAIN GROVE ELEM.
MOUNTAIN GROVE
65855.0%51.1%
VINELAND ELEM.
DESOTO
65355.7%53.1%
NORTH COUNTY PRIMARY
BONNE TERRE
67356.3%N/A
BOLIVAR INTERMEDIATE SCH.
BOLIVAR
57251.4%50.3%
Matched among Missouri elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.

Where LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. ranks

Among elementary schools
MeasureThis schoolIn MissouriIn Phelps County
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
48.8%#339 of 1,002#4 of 6
Math proficiency
ranked highest first
51.7%#300 of 1,019
▼ 136
#3 of 6
▼ 1
Reading proficiency
ranked highest first
46.4%#424 of 1,018
▲ 75
#3 of 6
▲ 1
3-year test score change
ranked biggest drop first
-2.8pp#282 of 943#3 of 6
Enrollment
ranked largest first
681#28 of 1,294#1 of 6
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
12.0:1#313 of 950N/A
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
14.2%#786 of 953N/A
Free and reduced lunch
ranked highest share first
51.8%#601 of 1,165#3 of 6
Enrollment change since 2017-18
ranked steepest decline first
-20.5%#179 of 684N/A
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.

4-year change

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Enrollment
681
-103 (-13%) vs 2020
-18% since 1990-91, when it was 827
Student : Teacher
12.0:1
was 11.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Enrollment and staffing by year

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Students per teacherFree and reduced lunch
2024-2568156.712.0:152% (353)
2023-2470557.112.3:157% (399)
2022-2374360.612.3:154% (403)
2020-217846611.9:160% (472)
2017-188576912.4:163% (539)
2015-168486413.3:162% (529)
2010-118095913.7:159% (481)
2000-019036913.1:156% (504)
1990-918274319.2:1N/A
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM..

Since 2017-18: students down 21% (857 to 681); teachers down 18% (69 to 56.7).

About LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.

LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. is one of the public schools in ST JAMES, Missouri. It is a high-enrollment elementary school. There are 681 students enrolled, covering pre-K through 5. On average, elementary schools in Missouri enroll around 315, and this school is 116% above that mark.

ST. JAMES R-I is made up of 3 schools with 1,559 students in all.

LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. is 93% White by enrollment. Next come 3% Hispanic and 2% multiracial. Measured by the diversity index, the student body scores 14%.

Staffing at LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. comes to 56.7 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 12.0:1. The average ratio among elementary schools in Missouri is similar, at 12.4:1. LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. counts 52% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. earns a B+ on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 66% of Missouri public elementary schools.

LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.'s average proficiency rate across its state test results of 48.8% is 8.3 points above the 40.5% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.

Five-year Census Bureau estimates for Phelps County show that median household income comes to about $58,396, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 32% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 9%. Phelps County counts 15 public schools with about 6,217 students.

A public school about 0.1 miles away, ST. JAMES HIGH, is the closest to LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.. Inside a five-mile radius, there are 2 other public schools. Among 6 nearby schools that report test results, LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. ranks 3rd on proficiency.

Locale: Rural: Distant. In NCES terms, the school is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.

Enrollment fell by 13% across 4 years, from 784 in 2020-21 to 681 in 2024-25.

This community page is for conversations about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. You can also rate the school on this page.

Phelps County at a glance

View full county profile
Population
45,194
Census ACS
Median income
$58,396
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
15
6,217 students

Quick facts

School name
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.
District
ST. JAMES R-I
Address
314 S JEFFERSON, ST JAMES, MO 65559
Phone
(573) 265-2300
County
Phelps County
Level
Elementary
Grade range
PK–05
Total enrollment
681
Teachers (FTE)
57
Student–teacher ratio
12.0:1
Free and reduced lunch
353 (52%)
Locale
42-Rural: Distant
NCES ID
292925001873
Charter school
No
Virtual school
No

Related schools

Other schools in ST. JAMES R-I
Other schools in ST JAMES
Nearby schools

Frequently asked questions

About LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.
How many students attend LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.?
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. enrolls approximately 681 students in grades PK-05.
Is LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. an elementary, middle, or high school?
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. have?
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. employs 57 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.0:1.
What is the student diversity at LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM.?
Student demographics at LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. are roughly 93% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Black, 0% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. public or private?
LUCY WORTHAM JAMES ELEM. is a public K-12 school, overseen by ST. JAMES R-I.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.
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