Find the best school

Finding the school that best fits your child’s needs is the most important part of ensuring they have a good educational future. In Missouri, your choice of school options depends largely on where you live.

Unless you live in St. Louis City or within the boundaries of KCPS your choices are limited to schools offered by your local district, virtual courses, or private schools. Here is an overview of how to find the best school in the state’s two largest metro areas as well as key tips for finding the best school and questions to ask during the process:

School choices in St. Louis

In St. Louis City, parents have a wide choice of schools including public, magnet, public charter, private and virtual. NavigateSTL is an excellent resource to help you find a school.

Additional resources in St. Louis

For Magnet Schools:

Contact the St. Louis Public Schools Recruitment and Counseling Center at 314-633-5200 or log on to www.slpsmagnetschools.org

For Charter Public Schools:

Contact the Missouri Charter Public School Association at 314-776-3551 or log on to www.mocharterschools.org.

School choices in Kansas City

In Kansas City, parents have a wide choice of schools including public, signature, charter public, private and virtual. Residents living outside of the KCPS school district do not have the option of public charter schools.

You can visit Show Me KC Schools to search for all types of schools online based on your address.

Additional resources in Kansas City

For Signature Schools:

To learn more about signature schools contact the Kansas City Public Schools at 816-418-7000 or visit https://www.kcpublicschools.org/Page/4808.

For Charter Public Schools:

Contact the Missouri Charter Public School Association at 314-776-3551 or log on to www.mocharterschools.org.

Types of schools

Public

Traditional district schools are assigned to your child based on your address. They are tuition-free and follow a state-mandated curriculum. Parents can request to send their child to a different zone if seats are available but must provide their own transportation.

Magnet/Signature

St. Louis Public Schools also offer magnet and Kansas City Public Schools offer signature schools which serve the entire school district. These schools include elementary, middle and high school options that offer specialized courses and curricula.

Applications come with certain eligibility requirements including minimum GPA and no prior behavior records.
They do not have to accept all students.
There are typically more applicants than seats available, some schools have a long waitlist.
Provide transportation.

Public Charter

Charter public schools are publicly funded, nonprofit schools with an independent governing board. They are held accountable by their sponsor (usually a university) for producing positive academic outcomes. Charter public schools are tuition-free schools that are required to enroll all students who live within their boundaries.

No tests or eligibility requirements to enroll in a charter school in St. Louis.
They must accept students with special needs and English language learners.
There are limited seats in charter schools and often have a waitlist.
Some charter schools provide transportation.

Private

There are many private school or tuition based options throughout Missouri including a variety of religious options. Private schools offer parents curriculum that varies from State Standards.

For Private School and Homeschool Scholarships:

Visit our website about the MOScholars program www.showmeschooloptions.org.

Virtual education

Thanks to a 2018 law Missouri families in every school district in the state have growing access to virtual education through both the MOCAP program and the Missouri Online Summer Institute.

MOCAP provides students access to single virtual courses or full-time virtual programs through their home school district or charter school at no cost to the family.

The Missouri Online Summer Institute is completely free, but only available during the summer and only if students are not taking other summer courses in their home district.

Know the application windows

Some schools have application deadlines 10 months in advance. Charter schools typically start accepting applications in the winter and have their first round of lotteries in February and March. Make sure you know how long it will take to gather information needed to complete the application, know when tour dates and open houses for schools you are interested in are scheduled. Magnet and Signature schools often require entrance exams and interviews.

To apply for a scholarship through the MOScholars program the application period begins in February. It is first come first serve so make sure to apply on the first day. You will need to have your school selected to apply and make sure to have your paperwork ready in advance. You can see the list of required paperwork here.

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