![The staff from Spoede and Reed Elementary pose on stage with Dr. Wipke and their Louie Awards]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1771885391/ladueschoolsnet/zp02xsefplw1rieynbnm/LouieAwards-ReedandSpoede.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1771885391/ladueschoolsnet/zp02xsefplw1rieynbnm/LouieAwards-ReedandSpoede.png","width":512}])
Reed Elementary and Spoede Elementary Named Winners of Inaugural “Louie” Awards
Ladue Schools is proud to announce that Reed Elementary and Spoede Elementary have been named winners of the inaugural “The Louie” awards, presented by the Gateway to Success Foundation. The winners were announced during a ceremony on Friday, Feb. 20, at the downtown St. Louis Public Library.
Spoede Elementary was named a winner for its outstanding growth in Math. Reed Elementary was the only school in the St. Louis region to receive top honors in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.
The Gateway to Success Foundation, in partnership with the PRiME Center at Saint Louis University, established “The Louies” to recognize public and charter schools demonstrating the highest year-over-year student growth. Winners were selected based on the Missouri Growth Model, which measures learning gains over a three-year period (2022–2025).
As winners, both Reed and Spoede saw their awards increase from the $5,000 finalist grant to $15,000 grand prizes.
“We are thrilled to see the hard work of our students and educators at Reed and Spoede recognized at this level,” said Dr. Jim Wipke, Ladue Schools Superintendent. “To have two schools among the top in the region speaks to the dedication our district places on student growth and academic progress.
The Louies are a result of a partnership between the PRiME (Policy Research in Missouri Education) Center at Saint Louis University and the Gateway to Success Foundation, which was recently established by Mike Dierberg and Stacy Clay. The foundation’s mission is to "shine a light" on schools that are raising the bar and identifying effective practices in urban and suburban education.
"There are teachers and school leaders in St. Louis who come to work every day with a commitment to experiment and innovate," said Collin Hitt, Executive Director of the PRiME Center, in its press release. “This awards program identifies schools that have the highest impacts on the essential skills of Language Arts and Math and provides us with the opportunity to celebrate accomplishments and share best practices with the education community throughout the region.”
Visit the district’s Facebook page for more photos highlighting the event.