Don't let the media hype fool you. Go visit the schools. Although my child attended Kennard as well and is currently a student at McKinley, these aren't the only good schools the district has to offer. I'm in favor of magnet schools because of my experiences with them. My older child is in college at SLU. He did not attend the "gifted" schools. As a matter of fact, he hated Metro. He graduated from Central Visual and Performing Arts School where he found friends and great teachers that he respects. He scored a 28 on his ACT and received an host of scholarship opportunities. He's proof that the "elite" schools of (Kennard, McKinley and Metro) are not for every student. Look into Dewey, Malanphy and Gateway. All three programs are worth considering. Don't let that accreditation issue scare you. The teaching has not stopped at these schools and the decision to remove accreditation is still up for debate in the court of law.

My children attended Kennard Classical Junior Academy. It is a school for gifted children, with an IQ level above either 125 or 130 (it's changed in the last few years.) If children are successful at Kennard, they go on to McKinley Classical Junior Academy, a middle school for gifted kids. The school district appears to be committed to developing McKinley into a high school for gifted children, and the name these days is actually McKinley Classical Leadership Academy. (but this Great Schools web site does not recognize that name yet.)

The jewel of St. Louis Public School system is Metro High School. It has the highest MAP scores in the entire state of Missouri, basically making it number one. It is a college prep school, but does not require the gifted IQ level. Classes there are small, and graduation is 100 percent. MAP scores are in the 90's, and about 2 years ago, the junior class scored 100 on the Language Arts test. Many colleges and universities offer a lot of merit scholarships to these students because they are well qualified to attend and succeed at college.

You can learn a lot about these schools and other Magnet schools on the St. Louis Public Schools website www.slps.org.
Regarding accreditation, most of the SLPS high schools have obtained accreditation from the North Central Association Commission. This is important to know, because the school district is currently unaccredited. But this accreditation is recognized by colleges and univerisities.

MAP scores can be obtained at Missouri's Department of Education and Special Education, dese.mo.gov. From the homepage, hit the A - Z index button, then hit M for Missouri Assessment Program (MAP). Meeting AYP is important to check also. AYP = Annual Yearly Progress, an assessment of whether schools are improving each year, required by NCLB. (NCLB = No Child Left Behind act).

Hope this helps.

I live in the 63139 zip code too. I have a kindergartner at a school 2 miles from my house. It's a good school, but I'm uncertain if I'd recommend it. This question isn't an easy one to answer. The public school system is unaccredited and the state took over last Spring semester. There are magnet schools to choose from if you get picked to go. There are many private catholic schools available as well.
My advice: think about the strengths of your child and then find a school to fit. I'm right there with you and completely puzzled by some of the secrecy that some schools have about their overall performance. Try googling the MAP test and then looking up Magnet Schools. This is a great start to comparing apples to apples in what the school will do for your child.
One of the best schools in the state is a Magnet School:Kennard Academy. The kids must be tested and pass high on an I.Q. test. I wish all schools were like that one!

You should contact the school district office to find out about zoning information. But you can use GreatSchools to look up schools near your new address. Click on the "Research and Compare" button in the green toolbar above. I'm also including a link to our city page for St. Louis, MO.
www.greatschools.net/city/St._Louis/MO

Hope this helps!

Where will my children be going to school in the city of st louis, mo. 63139