Is South Elementary a good school?

South Elementary ranks 537 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 403 students attended South Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of South Elementary?

Students at South Elementary are 54% White, 34% African American, 10% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of South Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Kennett Middle High : Kennett High

South Elementary

Summary:

South Elementary is a public elementary school located in Kennett, Missouri, serving grades 3-5 with a total enrollment of 402 students. The school is part of the Kennett 39 School District, which is ranked 303 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Elementary faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, well below average test scores in Mathematics and English Language Arts across all grade levels, and uneven performance across student subgroups. For example, in 2023-2024, only 31.8% of 3rd graders, 35.8% of 4th graders, and 35.3% of 5th graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 40.8%, 44.4%, and 38.4%, respectively. While the school ranks highly for Hispanic students and low-socioeconomic status students, it ranks poorly for special education and African American students. Additionally, South Elementary's spending per student, ranging from $7,406 to $9,100, is lower than some nearby schools like Central Elementary ($11,832 per student) and Gideon Elementary ($14,459 per student).

Despite the challenges, South Elementary's strong performance for Hispanic and low-socioeconomic status students suggests that the school may have effective strategies in place for supporting these populations. Additionally, the broader regional context of educational challenges, with nearby schools like Central Elementary, Clarkton Elementary, and Mathis Elementary also performing poorly, suggests that the issues faced by South Elementary may be reflective of broader regional challenges. Exploring and replicating the school's effective strategies for supporting certain student populations could potentially benefit other student subgroups as well.

Detail:

Public 3-5

920 S Kennett St
Kennett, MO 63857-3817

(573) 717-1130

District: Kennett 39

SchoolDigger Rank:
537^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,100

Students who attend South Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Kennett Middle
High:	Kennett High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 403

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.1%

African American:

33.7%

Hispanic:

9.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99.3%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare South Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details South Elementary ranks worse than 59.3% of elementary schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.48. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 (54.1%), African American (33.7%), Hispanic (9.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 99.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Elementary is 12.3, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Kennett 39 School District! (See more...)

Compare South Elementary employs 32.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Elementary is $9,100, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Kennett 39 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks South Elementary 537^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See South Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

African American students:

White students:

Kennett 39:

SchoolDigger ranks Kennett 39 303^rd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for South Elementary

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Rank History for all students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	25.72	915^th	1074	14.8%
2007	32.94	852^nd	1080	21.1%
2008	55.30	472^nd	1084	56.5%
2009	47.49	606^th	1053	42.5%
2010	66.94	314^th	1066	70.5%
2011	87.97	60^th	1088	94.5%
2012	85.45	83^rd	1085	92.4%
2013	88.33	61^st	1108	94.5%
2014	92.95	30^th	1089	97.2%
2015	27.63	837^th	1058	20.9%
2016	46.70	503^rd	865	41.8%
2017	60.31	402^nd	1032	61.0%
2018	75.73	211^th	1045	79.8%
2019	39.73	664^th	1052	36.9%
2021	45.11	515^th	901	42.8%
2022	36.99	576^th	908	36.6%
2023	43.57	528^th	898	41.2%
2024	42.48	537^th	906	40.7%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	13.05	106^th	107	0.9%
2024	21.90	94^th	101	6.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	85.77	53^rd	887	94.0%
2019	45.09	520^th	907	42.7%
2021	79.63	63^rd	574	89.0%
2022	71.47	83^rd	532	84.4%
2023	77.67	69^th	611	88.7%
2024	75.52	84^th	625	86.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	35.46	179^th	251	28.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	83.02	22^nd	243	90.9%
2019	57.90	91^st	250	63.6%
2021	75.87	17^th	163	89.6%
2022	40.62	107^th	184	41.8%
2023	55.17	61^st	185	67.0%
2024	48.13	79^th	191	58.6%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	89.62	1^st	105	99.0%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at South Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	73.97	191^st	898	78.7%
2019	39.41	569^th	917	37.9%
2021	48.20	345^th	691	50.1%
2022	39.72	420^th	675	37.8%
2023	45.86	355^th	673	47.3%
2024	53.88	293^rd	668	56.1%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary 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

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Enrollment information for South Elementary

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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	458	458
1992	391	86	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
1993	404	87	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	495
1994	402	85	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	488
1995	387	99	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	490
1996	387	99	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	490
1997	371	101	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	475
1998	383	124	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
1999	386	122	0	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	517
2000	384	142	0	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	536
2001	424	141	1	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	581
2002	376	139	1	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	531
2003	376	139	1	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	531
2004	343	150	3	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	512
2005	338	129	5	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	491
2006	318	133	4	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	473
2007	324	144	2	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	488
2008	286	138	4	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
2009	295	140	2	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	467
2010	291	134	3	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	458
2011	314	139	2	36	1	1	3	0	496
2012	292	137	4	33	2	1	6	0	475
2013	274	134	3	32	2	0	2	0	447
2014	284	142	1	45	0	0	5	0	477
2015	288	136	1	43	0	0	7	0	475
2016	287	105	2	35	0	0	11	0	440
2017	281	117	2	34	0	0	13	0	447
2018	293	115	3	35	0	0	18	0	464
2019	275	129	3	30	1	0	22	0	460
2020	270	131	2	38	2	0	26	0	469
2021	270	138	4	34	1	0	22	0	469
2022	252	135	4	41	0	0	8	0	440
2023	241	121	4	33	0	0	3	0	402
2024	218	136	3	40	2	0	4	0	403

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	458	27.4	16.7	n/a
1992	481	29.2	16.4	n/a
1993	495	29.0	17.1	n/a
1994	488	29.4	16.6	0
1995	490	30.6	16.0	n/a
1996	490	30.6	16.0	n/a
1997	475	30.6	15.5	54.7
1998	510	31.5	16.2	53.5
1999	517	32.1	16.1	64.6
2000	536	33.3	16.1	68.3
2001	581	34.2	17.0	65.2
2002	531	33.0	16.1	63.1
2003	531	33.0	16.1	63.1
2004	512	31.7	16.2	60.2
2005	491	31.9	15.4	63.7
2006	473	32.0	14.8	64.3
2007	488	29.9	16.3	67.4
2008	448	33.4	13.4	64.7
2009	467	32.0	14.6	68.5
2010	458	34.4	13.2	72.3
2011	496	33.9	14.6	68.1
2012	475	30.9	15.3	72
2013	447	31.0	14.4	74.9
2014	477	32.1	14.8	74.6
2015	475	33.0	14.3	73.9
2016	440	31.0	14.1	75
2017	447	33.4	13.3	78.3
2018	464	31.3	14.7	75
2019	460	32.6	14.1	74.3
2020	469	32.3	14.5	77.8
2021	469	32.0	14.6	99.4
2022	440	34.5	12.7	99.3
2023	402	34.6	11.6	99.3
2024	403	32.5	12.3	99.3

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 Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	458	27.4	16.7	n/a
1992	481	29.2	16.4	n/a
1993	495	29.0	17.1	n/a
1994	488	29.4	16.6	0
1995	490	30.6	16.0	n/a
1996	490	30.6	16.0	n/a
1997	475	30.6	15.5	54.7
1998	510	31.5	16.2	53.5
1999	517	32.1	16.1	64.6
2000	536	33.3	16.1	68.3
2001	581	34.2	17.0	65.2
2002	531	33.0	16.1	63.1
2003	531	33.0	16.1	63.1
2004	512	31.7	16.2	60.2
2005	491	31.9	15.4	63.7
2006	473	32.0	14.8	64.3
2007	488	29.9	16.3	67.4
2008	448	33.4	13.4	64.7
2009	467	32.0	14.6	68.5
2010	458	34.4	13.2	72.3
2011	496	33.9	14.6	68.1
2012	475	30.9	15.3	72
2013	447	31.0	14.4	74.9
2014	477	32.1	14.8	74.6
2015	475	33.0	14.3	73.9
2016	440	31.0	14.1	75
2017	447	33.4	13.3	78.3
2018	464	31.3	14.7	75
2019	460	32.6	14.1	74.3
2020	469	32.3	14.5	77.8
2021	469	32.0	14.6	99.4
2022	440	34.5	12.7	99.3
2023	402	34.6	11.6	99.3
2024	403	32.5	12.3	99.3

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 Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$419 (5.6%)	$7,095 (94.4%)	$7,514
2020	$458 (6.2%)	$6,948 (93.8%)	$7,406
2021	$2,133 (27.6%)	$5,587 (72.4%)	$7,720
2022	$3,414 (37.5%)	$5,686 (62.5%)	$9,100

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on South Elementary

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 664^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 528^th of 898 Elementary schools	4.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Elementary)	46.7	41.7	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kennett 39)	46.7	41.7	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Elementary)	40.7	43.3	2.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kennett 39)	40.7	43.3	2.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Elementary)	66	39	27%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kennett 39)	66	39	27%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Elementary)	53.4	30.9	22.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kennett 39)	53.4	30.9	22.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Elementary)	20.7	35.3	14.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kennett 39)	20.7	35.3	14.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (South Elementary)	25.2	35.3	10.1%
5th Grade Science (Kennett 39)	25.2	35.3	10.1%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Elementary)	28.9	32.6	3.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kennett 39)	28.9	32.6	3.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	460	402	12.6%
African American	129	121	6.2%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	3	4	33.3%
Hispanic	30	33	10%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	275	241	12.4%
Two or More Races	22	3	86.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74.3%	99.3%	24.9%

Schools Near South Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)				MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)				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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Elementary	Public	3-5	920 S Kennett St	Kennett	63857	Dunklin County	Kennett 39	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 717-1130	403	33	12.3	99.3%	218 (54.1%)	136 (33.7%)	40 (9.9%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	42.5	537^th of 906 public elementary schools	40.7%		43.6	528^th of 898 public elementary schools	41.2%	9	31.8	35.8	35.3		45.1	33.2	36.8	37.7		$9,100	$3,414	$5,686
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	1600 Ely Street	Kennett	63857	Dunklin County	Kennett 39	No	No	No	No	(573) 717-1115	95	4	23.7	96.8%	52 (54.7%)	25 (26.3%)	6 (6.3%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (11.6%)								(n/a)
H. Byron Masterson Elementary	Public	K-2	1600 Ely St	Kennett	63857	Dunklin County	Kennett 39	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 717-1115	436	34	12.7	99.3%	218 (50.0%)	147 (33.7%)	41 (9.4%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.7%)								(n/a)										$8,606	$2,946	$5,661
Senath-Hornersville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	802 S State	Senath	63876	Dunklin County	Senath-Hornersville C-8	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 738-2515	262	24	11.1	100.0%	152 (58.0%)	6 (2.3%)	93 (35.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.2%)								(n/a)		26.0								$9,909	$2,603	$7,307
Delta C-7 Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	20 Charger Ln	Deering	63840	Pemiscot County	Delta C-7	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 757-6615	71	11	6.3	63.4%	53 (74.6%)	8 (11.3%)	6 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (5.6%)								(n/a)										$11,448	$428	$11,019
Holcomb Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	102 S Cherry	Holcomb	63852	Dunklin County	Holcomb R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 792-3550	236	20	11.8	100.0%	206 (87.3%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (2.1%)	21.3	717^th of 906 public elementary schools	20.9%					(n/a)	23.6	20.9	12.6	27.0	28.2			28.2		$12,315	$3,790	$8,526
Ross Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	102 School Drive	Wardell	63879	Pemiscot County	North Pemiscot County R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 359-0543	102	10	10.0	100.0%	93 (91.2%)	8 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	17.1	759^th of 906 public elementary schools	16.2%					(n/a)	14.3		26.4			14.3				$13,145	$546	$12,599
East Elementary	Public	PK-K	709 E. Main Extension	Steele	63877	Pemiscot County	South Pemiscot County R-V	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 695-4426	37	7	5.1	100.0%	23 (62.2%)	3 (8.1%)	6 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (13.5%)								(n/a)										$7,309	$28	$7,281
Central Elementary	Public	1-6	611 Beasley Rd	Steele	63877	Pemiscot County	South Pemiscot County R-V	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 695-4781	270	21	12.5	100.0%	160 (59.3%)	66 (24.4%)	15 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (10.7%)	36.5	594^th of 906 public elementary schools	34.4%		26	699^th of 898 public elementary schools	22.2%	105	30.0		36.4		15.2	47.5		30.4	21.7	$11,832	$68	$11,764
Clarkton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	Hwy 162	Clarkton	63837	Dunklin County	Clarkton C-4	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 448-3712	156	14	11.4	98.1%	102 (65.4%)	16 (10.3%)	32 (20.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	9.1	841^st of 906 public elementary schools	7.2%		10.9	809^th of 898 public elementary schools	9.9%	32	19.2		4.2	20.8	8.4	19.2		12.5	7.3	$11,313	$2,051	$9,261

South Elementary

South Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Kennett 39:

What do you think?

Rank History for South Elementary

Rank History for all students at South Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at South Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at South Elementary

Rank History for African American students at South Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Elementary

Rank History for White students at South Elementary

Enrollment information for South Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at South Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio South Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for South Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on South Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near South Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about South Elementary

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