Is South Middle a good school?

South Middle ranks 180 th of 459 Missouri middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 573 students attended South Middle.

What is the racial makeup of South Middle?

Students at South Middle are 74% White, 10% Two or more races, 8% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of South Middle attend?

Students who attend South Middle usually go on to attend Joplin High

South Middle

Summary:

South Middle is a public middle school located in Joplin, Missouri, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 573. It is part of the Joplin Schools district, which is ranked 186 out of 376 districts in Missouri and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Middle consistently outperforms the Joplin Schools district and the state of Missouri in various MAP test subjects, including Mathematics, Science, and English Language Arts. In the 2022-2023 school year, South Middle had significantly higher proficiency rates in Algebra I (78.3%) compared to the Joplin Schools district (36.3%) and the state (41.5%). Additionally, South Middle has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby East Middle and North Middle schools, with a higher percentage of non-White students (25.95% in 2022-2023).

South Middle's low-income students have consistently outperformed the Joplin Schools district and the state in various MAP test subjects, indicating the school's ability to support and engage this student population. However, the school's performance for students with disabilities and gifted and talented students has been less consistent, with lower rankings compared to other subgroups. Overall, South Middle is a strong-performing middle school within the Joplin Schools district, providing equitable educational opportunities for its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public 6-8

900 E 50th St
Joplin, MO 64802-0128

(417) 625-5250

District: Joplin Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
180^th of 459 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,111

Students who attend South Middle usually attend:

High:

Joplin High

Feeder schools for South Middle:

Elementary:	Irving Elementary
	Kelsey Norman Elementary
	Stapleton Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 573

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.0%

Two or more races:

9.9%

Hispanic:

8.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.3%

See top rated Missouri middle schools

Compare South Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Middle ranks better than 60.8% of middle schools in Missouri. It also ranks first among 3 ranked middle schools in the Joplin Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.22. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (74%), two or more races (9.9%), Hispanic (8.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Joplin Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Middle is 13.6. 1 middle schools in the Joplin Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare South Middle employs 42 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Middle is $9,111. 1 middle schools in the Joplin Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

South Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks South Middle 180^th of 459 Missouri public middle schools. (See South Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Joplin Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Joplin Schools 186^th of 376 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for South Middle.

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Your rating for South Middle?

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Rank History for South Middle

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Rank History for all students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	46.35	349^th	619	43.6%
2007	46.69	378^th	624	39.4%
2008	47.63	373^rd	624	40.2%
2009	50.43	331^st	601	44.9%
2010	51.08	350^th	614	43.0%
2011	47.35	373^rd	625	40.3%
2012	46.60	372^nd	623	40.3%
2013	53.43	299^th	649	53.9%
2014	53.22	308^th	633	51.3%
2015	61.32	192^nd	585	67.2%
2016	59.10	165^th	435	62.1%
2017	64.35	169^th	568	70.2%
2018	53.15	248^th	552	55.1%
2019	60.42	199^th	587	66.1%
2021	70.46	102^nd	454	77.5%
2022	54.74	199^th	459	56.6%
2023	58.22	180^th	459	60.8%

See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	57.61	27^th	79	65.8%
2019	55.09	41^st	98	58.2%
2023	37.66	21^st	44	52.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.99	129^th	192	32.8%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	53.46	167^th	422	60.4%
2019	53.35	186^th	482	61.4%
2021	75.22	55^th	371	85.2%
2022	67.26	83^rd	365	77.3%
2023	61.34	105^th	382	72.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2019	45.68	109^th	204	46.6%
2021	34.93	135^th	195	30.8%
2022	37.35	117^th	187	37.4%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	31.14	92^nd	104	11.5%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for White students at South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	45.95	237^th	479	50.5%
2019	55.38	197^th	527	62.6%
2021	61.30	122^nd	376	67.6%
2022	48.00	180^th	381	52.8%
2023	56.49	145^th	385	62.3%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, January 20, 2012

South Middle School is an EXCELLENT school. They have a large variety of classes including some high school levels. Their teacher are very good. And South deserves a better ranking Close Quote

Enrollment information for South Middle

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1066	1066
1992	1069	27	7	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	1111
1993	1073	30	7	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	1123
1994	1051	38	7	10	6	n/a	n/a	0	1112
1995	1007	48	13	15	13	n/a	n/a	0	1096
1996	1007	48	13	15	13	n/a	n/a	0	1096
1997	1012	38	11	9	6	n/a	n/a	0	1076
1998	936	27	8	15	17	n/a	n/a	0	1003
1999	535	19	7	12	11	n/a	n/a	0	584
2000	598	27	8	18	8	n/a	n/a	0	659
2001	617	26	6	23	12	n/a	n/a	0	684
2002	661	26	7	25	15	n/a	n/a	0	734
2003	661	26	7	25	15	n/a	n/a	0	734
2004	669	31	9	32	17	n/a	n/a	0	758
2005	620	32	6	38	13	n/a	n/a	0	709
2006	601	52	7	40	9	n/a	n/a	0	709
2007	591	43	7	49	9	n/a	n/a	0	699
2008	570	46	12	45	12	n/a	n/a	0	685
2009	592	29	14	46	15	n/a	n/a	0	696
2010	516	23	13	25	16	n/a	n/a	0	593
2011	565	29	12	29	13	3	0	0	651
2012	508	36	15	36	10	0	5	0	610
2013	535	40	8	41	10	1	13	0	648
2014	548	37	12	42	7	5	15	0	666
2015	503	31	12	37	9	3	17	0	612
2016	504	26	11	33	6	2	22	0	604
2017	470	21	9	30	8	4	29	0	571
2018	459	30	6	29	10	3	27	0	564
2019	416	28	5	33	13	5	42	0	542
2020	434	31	6	40	10	5	44	0	570
2021	458	24	6	45	12	2	53	0	600
2022	459	18	6	47	14	3	56	0	603
2023	424	21	6	47	13	5	57	0	573

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	1066	63.6	16.7	21.9
1992	1111	63.2	17.5	19.7
1993	1123	61.4	18.3	17.9
1994	1112	60.8	18.3	17
1995	1096	64.9	16.9	27.6
1996	1096	64.9	16.9	27.6
1997	1076	66.7	16.1	20.8
1998	1003	65.4	15.3	25.7
1999	584	36.3	16.1	30.1
2000	659	49.7	13.3	32
2001	684	48.3	14.2	41.7
2002	734	49.5	14.8	46.5
2003	734	49.5	14.8	46.5
2004	758	47.5	16.0	49.5
2005	709	51.5	13.8	53
2006	709	51.3	13.8	53.6
2007	699	50.3	13.9	44.6
2008	685	56.5	12.1	47.7
2009	696	52.0	13.4	48.3
2010	593	47.9	12.3	43.7
2011	651	46.7	13.9	45.5
2012	610	45.2	13.4	52.5
2013	648	47.5	13.6	50.2
2014	666	48.3	13.7	55.3
2015	612	45.0	13.6	56.4
2016	604	44.0	13.7	49.3
2017	571	43.4	13.1	54.6
2018	564	43.9	12.8	54.3
2019	542	42.6	12.7	48.7
2020	570	40.6	14.0	50.7
2021	600	42.1	14.2	49.3
2022	603	41.7	14.4	51.4
2023	573	42.0	13.6	47.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio South Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	1066	63.6	16.7	21.9
1992	1111	63.2	17.5	19.7
1993	1123	61.4	18.3	17.9
1994	1112	60.8	18.3	17
1995	1096	64.9	16.9	27.6
1996	1096	64.9	16.9	27.6
1997	1076	66.7	16.1	20.8
1998	1003	65.4	15.3	25.7
1999	584	36.3	16.1	30.1
2000	659	49.7	13.3	32
2001	684	48.3	14.2	41.7
2002	734	49.5	14.8	46.5
2003	734	49.5	14.8	46.5
2004	758	47.5	16.0	49.5
2005	709	51.5	13.8	53
2006	709	51.3	13.8	53.6
2007	699	50.3	13.9	44.6
2008	685	56.5	12.1	47.7
2009	696	52.0	13.4	48.3
2010	593	47.9	12.3	43.7
2011	651	46.7	13.9	45.5
2012	610	45.2	13.4	52.5
2013	648	47.5	13.6	50.2
2014	666	48.3	13.7	55.3
2015	612	45.0	13.6	56.4
2016	604	44.0	13.7	49.3
2017	571	43.4	13.1	54.6
2018	564	43.9	12.8	54.3
2019	542	42.6	12.7	48.7
2020	570	40.6	14.0	50.7
2021	600	42.1	14.2	49.3
2022	603	41.7	14.4	51.4
2023	573	42.0	13.6	47.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$629 (7.4%)	$7,899 (92.6%)	$8,528
2020	$594 (7.4%)	$7,481 (92.6%)	$8,075
2021	$2,740 (34.9%)	$5,118 (65.1%)	$7,859
2022	$2,142 (23.5%)	$6,969 (76.5%)	$9,111

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 199^th of 587 Middle schools	Ranks 180^th of 459 Middle schools	5.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (South Middle)	47	51.4	4.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Joplin Schools)	29.1	41.7	12.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	42.5	43.7	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Middle)	55.2	35.8	19.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Joplin Schools)	41.9	31.1	10.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	45.9	37.5	8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Middle)	34.8	33.7	1.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Joplin Schools)	37.4	31.5	5.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	38	39.5	1.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Middle)	44.2	39.2	5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Joplin Schools)	40.5	34.4	6.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	43.6	37.3	6.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Middle)	31.7	23.6	8.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Joplin Schools)	34.2	25.9	8.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	29	30	1%
8th Grade Science (South Middle)	48.9	42.1	6.8%
8th Grade Science (Joplin Schools)	39.5	38.1	1.4%
8th Grade Science (Missouri)	43.7	37.8	5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Middle)	53.9	42.1	11.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Joplin Schools)	46	42.4	3.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.3	42.7	4.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	542	573	5.7%
African American	28	21	25%
American Indian	13	13
Asian	5	6	20%
Hispanic	33	47	42.4%
Pacific Islander	5	5
White	416	424	1.9%
Two or More Races	42	57	35.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.7%	47.3%	1.4%

Schools Near South Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MAP Mathematics (2023)					MAP Science (2023)		MAP English Language Arts (2023)					MAP Algebra I (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Middle	Public	6-8	900 E 50th St	Joplin	64802	Jasper County	Joplin Schools	No	No	No	No	(417) 625-5250	573	42	13.6	47.3%	424 (74.0%)	21 (3.7%)	47 (8.2%)	6 (1.0%)	13 (2.3%)	5 (0.9%)	57 (9.9%)	58.2	180^th of 459 public middle schools	60.8%		54.7	199^th of 459 public middle schools	56.6%	19			51.4	33.7	23.6		42.1			35.8	39.2	42.1	78.3	$9,111	$2,142	$6,969
East Middle	Public	6-8	4594 East 20th St	Joplin	64802	Jasper County	Joplin Schools	No	No	No	No	(417) 625-5280	597	43	13.7	65.7%	391 (65.5%)	22 (3.7%)	78 (13.1%)	19 (3.2%)	11 (1.8%)	18 (3.0%)	58 (9.7%)	44.7	261^st of 459 public middle schools	43.1%		34.7	311^th of 459 public middle schools	32.2%	50			37.8	29.4	20.0		34.1			31.5	34.2	40.1	88.5	$8,774	$1,136	$7,638
North Middle	Public	6-8	102 Gray	Joplin	64802	Jasper County	Joplin Schools	No	No	No	No	(417) 625-5270	517	44	11.8	65.0%	398 (77.0%)	14 (2.7%)	41 (7.9%)	3 (0.6%)	14 (2.7%)	8 (1.5%)	39 (7.5%)	48.4	238^th of 459 public middle schools	48.1%		53	211^th of 459 public middle schools	54.0%	27			35.3	31.7	36.0		38.0			25.6	29.5	45.6		$10,696	$1,251	$9,445
Webb City Junior High	Public	7-8	807 W First St	Webb City	64870	Jasper County	Webb City R-Vii	No	No	No	No	(417) 673-6030	732	50	14.6	46.4%	595 (81.3%)	13 (1.8%)	63 (8.6%)	7 (1.0%)	7 (1.0%)	4 (0.5%)	43 (5.9%)	75.2	82^nd of 459 public middle schools	82.1%		85.5	39^th of 459 public middle schools	91.5%	43				54.2	32.4		46.1				43.0	52.9	91.0	$8,611	$1,333	$7,278
Webb City Middle	Public	5-6	603 W Aylor	Webb City	64870	Jasper County	Webb City R-Vii	No	No	No	No	(417) 673-6045	696	46	15.1	46.7%	579 (83.2%)	12 (1.7%)	52 (7.5%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	44 (6.3%)								(n/a)		57.1	61.1			52.0			56.2	47.7				$8,963	$1,393	$7,570
Carl Junction Intermediate	Public	4-6	206 S Roney	Carl Junction	64834	Jasper County	Carl Junction R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 649-5760	777	52	14.8	36.4%	649 (83.5%)	5 (0.6%)	42 (5.4%)	12 (1.5%)	15 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.9%)								(n/a)	47.2	35.5	51.0			45.2		56.3	51.5	48.6				$8,108	$1,213	$6,895
Carl Junction Junior High	Public	7-8	206 S Roney	Carl Junction	64834	Jasper County	Carl Junction R-I	No	No	No	No	(417) 649-7246	501	34	14.8	42.1%	408 (81.4%)	4 (0.8%)	28 (5.6%)	5 (1.0%)	12 (2.4%)	4 (0.8%)	40 (8.0%)	67.1	127^th of 459 public middle schools	72.3%		72.7	100^th of 459 public middle schools	78.2%	27				42.3	33.2		52.7				35.2	47.3		$8,739	$693	$8,047
Diamond Middle	Public	5-8	401 S Main	Diamond	64840	Newton County	Diamond R-IV	No	No	No	No	(417) 325-5336	167	13	12.6	55.7%	135 (80.8%)	2 (1.2%)	17 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.4%)	32.3	323^rd of 459 public middle schools	29.6%		20	378^th of 459 public middle schools	17.6%	55			40.0	15.9	14.3		22.2			37.7				$11,604	$331	$11,273
Neosho Junior High	Public	7-8	14646 Kodiak Road	Neosho	64850	Newton County	Neosho School District	No	No	No	No	(417) 451-8660	748	46	16.4	58.0%	483 (64.6%)	8 (1.1%)	130 (17.4%)	7 (0.9%)	14 (1.9%)	59 (7.9%)	47 (6.3%)	61.5	160^th of 459 public middle schools	65.1%		62.8	153^rd of 459 public middle schools	66.7%	7				37.4	47.2		39.4				34.2	41.8		$8,881	$971	$7,910
Middle School	Public	5-6	1400 Hale McGinty Dr	Neosho	64850	Newton County	Neosho School District	No	No	No	No	(417) 451-8650	720	51	14.2	62.4%	453 (62.9%)	3 (0.4%)	151 (21.0%)	8 (1.1%)	17 (2.4%)	46 (6.4%)	42 (5.8%)								(n/a)		35.6	45.1			28.1			36.1	38.4				$9,551	$1,318	$8,233

South Middle

South Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Joplin Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for South Middle

Rank History for all students at South Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at South Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at South Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at South Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at South Middle

Rank History for White students at South Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for South Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio South Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on South Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

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