SOUTH ST. LOUIS, Mo. – One St. Louis high school is topping the charts in Missouri.
U.S. News and World Report has named Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience the best high school in the state.
On paper, it looks like a simple jump from number two to number one. But for the selective magnet school in south St. Louis, the climb took years of collaboration.
“Our title was very well deserved. We’ve been working really hard, the teachers, students, general staff,” said senior Berikti Yehdego.
For the last two years, the school ranked second in Missouri. This year, it reached the top, scoring above 98% in college readiness, test performance and graduation rates.
“100% we worked really, really hard,” said junior Laylah Treadway-Gray.
Students and staff credit the honor to self-discipline, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and teamwork. These are values the school strives to instill every day.
“The one that I think speaks to me is intellectual curiosity,” said senior Noah Jacob. “Which is kind of just the need to learn more and keep learning. I think we come to school every day trying to learn as much as we can and trying to continue to do that throughout our lives. You never know enough.”
Principal Frederick Steele, who has led the school for 11 of its 13 years, says students come from all walks of life.
“We are really diverse,” said Treadway-Gray. “People from all different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, countries, religions.”
Admission is competitive. Students apply, compete for a seat and once accepted, they put in the effort alongside strong support from the broader St. Louis community.
“The breadth of professional support we have includes St. Louis University, Washington University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Danforth Plant Science Center, the Zoo, the Science Center,” Steele said.
As part of the St. Louis Public Schools system, Steele said the success of Collegiate reflects the district’s dedication to its students despite ongoing challenges.
“We can’t exist or be this successful without strong central office administrative support,” Steele said. “A lot of St. Louis Public Schools may have a less than stellar reputation, but the reputation is never the reality. The reality is always better than the reputation.”
The school doesn’t shy away from acknowledging one of its darkest moments, the October 2022 shooting inside the conjoined Visual and Performing Arts building, where a teacher and student lost their lives.
“We’ve had challenges here on the school campus in years past too, and (SLPS has) always been supportive,” Steele said. “Not only is the support facilities and leadership, but also social and emotional support has been very strong.”
Since then, security has been strengthened, including posting an armed guard.
Today, the school’s hallways are filled with joy and pride.
“The school is amazing,” Yehdego said. “The teachers are very supportive. I’m around students that want to succeed just as much as me, and it’s been a really great four years.”
At the end of the day, this number-one ranking is a labor of love for St. Louis. It is proof that when the city pulls together, its students rise to the top.
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