A: 89% of our 8th graders get selected into their top choice high school.

Through character education practices we support and develop our core ethical values: Caring, Respect, and Responsibility. Inquiry-based learning – starts by posing questions, problems, or scenarios rather than simply presenting established facts.

Students are taught to explore and question more to find answers. We are the first charter school in the St. Louis area designated as both a State and National School of Character and we offer multiple outside learning spaces. Students participate in physical education, art, music, library skills, coding, and world culture classes on a rotating schedule.

We also have STEM, Engineering, Computer Science classes, and a shared makerspace. PCS offers a number of supporting programs such as Quest (Enrichment/Gifted Program), TLC (Special Education), ELL Program (English Learning Language), Reading & Math Specialists, and Before & After Care.

A charter school is a public school that is organized differently than traditional district public schools.

A charter public school is governed by an independent school board whose only focus and responsibility is that particular school.

This allows charter schools to be hyper-responsive to the needs of students and families enrolled in them. In exchange for this independence and freedom, charter schools operate under contracts (or “charters”) that allow them to be closed or replaced for failing to reach specific academic and non-academic goals, or for failing to operate in a responsible manner.

Charter schools are public schools held accountable to state and federal academic standards, publicly funded by local, state, and federal tax dollars based on enrollment, and are tuition free and open to all students in the districts where they operate.

We have been educating curious and empowered learners since 2000.

We opened our doors to 524 kindergarten-sixth grade students in 2000 as one of the first charter schools in St. Louis.

The founding charter was led by the desire to offer another option for a quality education to families living in the city.

Now serving over 1,000 students in pre-kindergarten-eighth grades PCS has become an exceptional model for an educational experience committed to whole child development.

As the first charter school in the St. Louis area designated as both a State and National School of Character, the intentional combination of academic learning with social and emotional learning is at the heart of all we do.

PCS continues to be a model and leader with this approach to education. PCS annually hosts local, national, and international delegates of educators who visit and meet with students, teachers, and school leaders in order to learn more about best practices.

Character education is embedded into every student experience which is rooted in the four domains of character development: moral, performance, intellectual, and civic.

In true character education practice, we partner with our students, peers, families, and the greater community to help guide students to understand the incredibly positive impact strong ethics can have in every area of their lives.

A charter agreement is our governance and operating structure that we follow in collaboration with our charter sponsor.

This agreement outlines our academic, non-academic, and operating outcomes.

University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL)

A: Charter Schools are exempt from state accreditation requirements.

A: The school day is from 8:15 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.

A: We do not provide any type of bussing or transportation.

A: Academic growth in Missouri’s charter students was ranked top 5 nationally for learning in reading and math compared to traditional public schools.

A: Historically underserved Black and Latino students showed more gains in reading and math when attending charter schools compared to attending traditional public schools.

A: We are the first charter school in the St. Louis area designated as both a State and National School of Character.

Through character education practices we support and develop our core ethical values: Caring, Respect, and Responsibility.

We believe education is done best through a whole-child approach to learning. This is reflected through inquiry-based academics, intentional work to build positive classroom and school cultures, a variety of individual social-emotional supports, and opportunities for physical activity and play.

Our beautiful campus includes five buildings—Early Childhood Bldg., Elementary Bldg., Middle School Bldg., Basketball and Indoor Soccer Field Gymnasiums, and Leadership and Resource Center).

Our facility also has an outdoor playground, green space/walking track, blacktop, and three soccer fields.