Educational recovery remains elusive for many Missouri students, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which found that reading and math proficiency remain below pre-pandemic levels and the state slipped slightly in national rankings for child well-being.
Nearly three out of four Missouri fourth graders are not proficient in reading, and more than three out of four eighth graders are not proficient in math, according to the annual report published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The findings echo concerns raised by the St. Louis City branch of the NAACP, which two years ago filed federal civil rights complaints alleging a “literacy crisis” in 34 city and county school districts, including charter and private schools.
According to the report, 73% of Missouri fourth graders are not proficient in reading, up from 66% in 2019, while 77% of eighth graders are not proficient in math, compared with 68% before the pandemic. The share of young children not enrolled in school also increased, rising from 66% in 2019 to 70% in 2024.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant | St. Louis American
While the report highlights persistent academic challenges across Missouri, some districts have demonstrated that improvement is possible. Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District’s Annual Performance Report score rose from 84.3% in 2023 to 97% in 2024 and 98.5% in 2025, reflecting significant gains in student achievement and growth.
Authors of the report encouraged Missouri leaders to “do more to address educational opportunity and achievement.”
That’s something the St. Louis City branch of the NAACP sought to address when it filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Justice Department over what it called a literacy crisis.
Pruitt told The American that the federal departments dismissed the complaints about two months after President Donald Trump returned to office. Still, he said local leaders must confront the factors that continue to undermine educational achievement, particularly in the St. Louis region.
“There’s no way in the world you can expect every kid who’s trying to learn in a community or household where they are the most impoverished to perform as well or better than a child coming from a middle-income two-parent home,” Pruitt said.
The statewide report does not measure the effects of the May 2025 tornado that devastated parts of North St. Louis. However, the storm disrupted families in neighborhoods that already faced many of the educational and economic challenges highlighted in the report.
Missouri ranked 28th nationally in overall child well-being, down one spot from 27th a year earlier. Education remained the state’s weakest category, ranking 33rd nationally.
The report’s findings come as policymakers nationwide continue to grapple with educational recovery, rising housing costs and the long-term effects of economic disruption following the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the first time, the KIDS COUNT Data Book includes a scoring system in addition to state rankings. The score measures progress across 16 indicators in four categories — economic well-being, education, health and family and community factors — over a five-year period from 2019 through 2024.
Missouri received a score of 567 out of 1,000, slightly above the national average score of 547.
The state’s strongest performance came in economic well-being, where it ranked 15th nationally. The report found that 15% of Missouri children — more than 200,000 young people — live below the federal poverty line. About 23% live in households where no parent has full-time, year-round employment, while 22% live in households spending at least 30% of their income on housing.
Health indicators showed mixed results. While many measures remained stable, the percentage of uninsured children increased from 5% in 2023 to 7% in 2024. That translates to roughly 95,000 Missouri children without health insurance coverage.
Tracy Greever-Rice, Missouri KIDS COUNT program director at the Family & Community Trust, said the data highlight the need for continued investment in children and families.
“Sustaining progress and ensuring we can provide consistently and reliably for all of our families and children is the mission and the work we collaborate on with our state and community partners every day,” Greever-Rice said.
William Dent, executive director of the Family & Community Trust, said the report reinforces the importance of addressing children’s basic needs.
“We know what our children need to grow up healthy and connected so they can thrive as adults: stable homes, strong schools, nutritious food, meaningful relationships and opportunities to learn, play and grow,” Dent said.
Now in its 37th year, the KIDS COUNT Data Book is widely used by policymakers, educators and child advocates to assess trends affecting children and families.
Nationally, the report found that child well-being indicators have largely remained stable in recent years, though many states continue to face challenges related to academic achievement, health coverage and affordability for families. For Missouri, the latest data suggest that while economic conditions for many families have held relatively steady, significant gaps remain in education and health outcomes for children.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.