Pierce City R-VI

The Pierce City R-VI school district in Missouri consists of three schools: Central Elementary, Pierce City High, and Pierce City Middle. Central Elementary stands out as a consistent top performer, consistently ranking in the top half of Missouri elementary schools and maintaining relatively high proficiency rates in Math and Science. In contrast, Pierce City High has experienced a significant drop in state-wide ranking, from 4 stars in 2020-2021 to just 1 star in 2023-2024, despite a relatively high 4-year graduation rate.

Across the district, all three schools share the same chronic absenteeism rate of 18.7%, which may indicate a district-wide issue that needs to be addressed. Test scores also vary, with Central Elementary generally performing better than the district and state averages in Math and English Language Arts, while Pierce City High has significantly lower proficiency rates in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Biology compared to state averages. The socioeconomic factors, as reflected in the free and reduced lunch rates, may be contributing to the relatively lower test scores at Central Elementary and Pierce City Middle.

Interestingly, the lower spending per student at Pierce City High does not seem to be translating into better academic performance, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be at play. Overall, the data provides a comprehensive view of the schools in the Pierce City R-VI district, highlighting areas of strength and areas that may require further investigation and improvement.