Is Mexico High a good school?

Mexico High ranks 227 th of 378 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Mexico High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 746 students attended Mexico High.

What is the racial makeup of Mexico High?

Students at Mexico High are 77% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 5% African American.

What schools feed into Mexico High?

Mexico High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Eugene Field Elementary Elementary : Hawthorne Elementary Elementary : McMillan Early Learning Center Middle : Mexico Middle

Mexico High

Summary:

Mexico High School is a public high school serving 746 students in grades 9-12 in Mexico, Missouri, which is part of the Mexico 59 School District. While the school has shown some improvement in its graduation rates, it continues to face significant challenges, ranking in the bottom half of Missouri high schools and struggling with low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and disparities in performance across different student subgroups.

Mexico High School's performance lags behind many of its nearby counterparts, such as Hallsville High and Centralia High, which consistently outperform Mexico High in state rankings, test scores, and graduation rates. The school's proficiency rates in core subjects like Algebra I, Biology I, and Government are well below the state averages, and its chronic absenteeism rates are significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Mexico High's performance varies greatly across different student subgroups, with the school ranking in the bottom 10% of Missouri high schools for African American students and in the bottom quarter for White, Multi-racial, Disabled, and Low Socioeconomic Status students.

Despite increased spending per student over the years, the academic challenges at Mexico High School persist. The school's high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch suggests that socioeconomic factors may be contributing to the academic struggles. Addressing these underlying issues and improving student engagement and support may be crucial in helping Mexico High School provide a better educational experience for its students and close the performance gaps with nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

639 N Wade
Mexico, MO 65265-1899

(573) 581-4296

District: Mexico 59

SchoolDigger Rank:
227^th of 378 Missouri High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,101

Feeder schools for Mexico High:

Elementary:	Eugene Field Elementary
	Hawthorne Elementary
	McMillan Early Learning Center
Middle:	Mexico Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 746

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.5%

Hispanic:

9.7%

Two or more races:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.9%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare Mexico High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mexico High ranks worse than 60.1% of high schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.86. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Mexico High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mexico High is $12,101.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mexico High:

SchoolDigger ranks Mexico High 227^th of 378 Missouri public high schools. (See Mexico High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Mexico 59:

SchoolDigger ranks Mexico 59 300^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Mexico High

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Rank History for all students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	57.10	214^th	534	59.9%
2007	50.70	271^st	538	49.6%
2008	57.72	219^th	539	59.4%
2009	29.09	404^th	507	20.3%
2010	24.18	443^rd	516	14.1%
2011	19.32	474^th	528	10.2%
2012	26.99	446^th	522	14.6%
2013	35.02	393^rd	523	24.9%
2014	39.77	347^th	521	33.4%
2015	49.03	248^th	504	50.8%
2016	51.83	188^th	401	53.1%
2017	56.46	176^th	404	56.4%
2018	29.78	352^nd	468	24.8%
2019	28.54	355^th	460	22.8%
2021	40.68	201^st	358	43.9%
2022	27.42	259^th	361	28.3%
2023	27.27	253^rd	352	28.1%
2024	36.86	227^th	378	39.9%

See the entire list of Missouri High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	27.44	26^th	34	23.5%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	53.70	55^th	135	59.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	28.27	304^th	382	20.4%
2019	21.02	324^th	368	12.0%
2021	39.92	145^th	255	43.1%
2022	30.36	188^th	250	24.8%
2023	28.58	204^th	268	23.9%
2024	45.73	136^th	274	50.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	29.91	75^th	95	21.1%
2019	23.42	82^nd	103	20.4%
2022	27.55	89^th	111	19.8%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	49.33	69^th	100	31.0%
2019	50.55	57^th	96	40.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.42	99^th	111	10.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	59.71	32^nd	84	61.9%
2019	15.64	84^th	91	7.7%
2022	33.62	39^th	57	31.6%
2023	39.65	34^th	64	46.9%
2024	43.86	35^th	70	50.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Mexico High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	27.39	338^th	440	23.2%
2019	31.83	304^th	430	29.3%
2021	28.06	224^th	309	27.5%
2022	25.76	229^th	310	26.1%
2023	24.92	228^th	302	24.5%
2024	29.39	218^th	321	32.1%

See the entire list of Best Missouri High 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 citizen
Friday, October 21, 2016

Students find a lot of areas to fit in and get engaged. A highly professional faculty and staff takes care of students at this high school located next to a career center. Students have so any options - sometimes it's hard to choose. This past summer their media and journalism department won a national Robert F. Kennedy award. Students traveled to Washington D.C. to accept the award from Kerry Kennedy - daughter of RFK. There are no perfect schools, but this school is where teachers care and work to help every kid succeed! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mexico High

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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	830	830
1992	746	63	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	819
1993	714	65	4	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	787
1994	718	58	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	786
1995	736	81	3	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	827
1996	736	81	3	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	827
1997	758	70	3	2	3	n/a	n/a	0	836
1998	773	67	4	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	850
1999	733	67	6	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	814
2000	725	70	7	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	809
2001	700	73	11	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	793
2002	694	70	11	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	785
2003	694	70	11	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	785
2004	670	78	11	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	771
2005	677	65	6	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	760
2006	700	76	9	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	803
2007	681	80	5	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	783
2008	666	81	3	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	769
2009	695	86	2	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	808
2010	659	83	4	20	3	n/a	n/a	0	769
2011	624	73	7	32	3	0	16	0	755
2012	652	59	5	24	3	0	23	0	766
2013	647	53	4	27	1	0	21	0	753
2014	600	43	3	22	1	0	17	0	686
2015	561	55	2	26	2	0	29	0	675
2016	557	50	2	32	2	0	32	0	675
2017	548	49	4	36	2	0	41	0	680
2018	544	56	6	43	1	0	50	0	700
2019	572	49	4	59	2	0	59	0	745
2020	529	45	4	68	1	1	60	0	708
2021	536	38	2	66	2	2	56	0	702
2022	549	39	1	65	2	1	63	0	720
2023	571	37	5	72	2	0	59	0	746

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 Mexico High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	830	42.5	19.5	n/a
1992	819	38.4	21.3	18.3
1993	787	35.7	22.0	13.5
1994	786	36.3	21.7	19.5
1995	827	41.2	20.1	16.9
1996	827	41.2	20.1	16.9
1997	836	42.0	19.9	14.1
1998	850	42.7	19.9	14.6
1999	814	41.5	19.6	18.3
2000	809	41.0	19.7	19.2
2001	793	41.7	19.0	21.9
2002	785	40.5	19.4	21.9
2003	785	40.5	19.4	21.9
2004	771	37.2	20.7	26.6
2005	760	39.1	19.4	27.5
2006	803	42.5	18.9	29.5
2007	783	41.5	18.9	32.3
2008	769	43.9	17.5	33
2009	808	44.8	18.0	34.7
2010	769	43.5	17.6	40.1
2011	755	42.1	17.9	40.7
2012	766	41.3	18.5	41.4
2013	753	42.7	17.6	37.6
2014	686	45.1	15.2	45.9
2015	675	44.0	15.3	48.4
2016	675	44.0	15.3	49
2017	680	45.3	14.9	48.1
2018	700	42.7	16.3	50
2019	745	44.2	16.8	57
2020	708	44.3	15.9	54.2
2021	702	44.5	15.7	53.3
2022	720	43.6	16.4	49.9
2023	746	44.7	16.6	52.9

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 Mexico High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	830	42.5	19.5	n/a
1992	819	38.4	21.3	18.3
1993	787	35.7	22.0	13.5
1994	786	36.3	21.7	19.5
1995	827	41.2	20.1	16.9
1996	827	41.2	20.1	16.9
1997	836	42.0	19.9	14.1
1998	850	42.7	19.9	14.6
1999	814	41.5	19.6	18.3
2000	809	41.0	19.7	19.2
2001	793	41.7	19.0	21.9
2002	785	40.5	19.4	21.9
2003	785	40.5	19.4	21.9
2004	771	37.2	20.7	26.6
2005	760	39.1	19.4	27.5
2006	803	42.5	18.9	29.5
2007	783	41.5	18.9	32.3
2008	769	43.9	17.5	33
2009	808	44.8	18.0	34.7
2010	769	43.5	17.6	40.1
2011	755	42.1	17.9	40.7
2012	766	41.3	18.5	41.4
2013	753	42.7	17.6	37.6
2014	686	45.1	15.2	45.9
2015	675	44.0	15.3	48.4
2016	675	44.0	15.3	49
2017	680	45.3	14.9	48.1
2018	700	42.7	16.3	50
2019	745	44.2	16.8	57
2020	708	44.3	15.9	54.2
2021	702	44.5	15.7	53.3
2022	720	43.6	16.4	49.9
2023	746	44.7	16.6	52.9

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 Mexico High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$352 (3.5%)	$9,764 (96.5%)	$10,116
2020	$426 (4.0%)	$10,171 (96.0%)	$10,596
2021	$802 (6.8%)	$11,077 (93.2%)	$11,879
2022	$1,630 (13.5%)	$10,471 (86.5%)	$12,101

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mexico High

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 355^th of 460 High schools	Ranks 253^rd of 352 High schools	5.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Algebra I (Mexico High)	20.4	29.8	9.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Mexico 59)	33	35.7	2.7%
End of Course Algebra I (Missouri)	45.3	41.5	3.8%
End of Course Biology I (Mexico High)	28.8	25.1	3.7%
End of Course Biology I (Mexico 59)	28.8	25.1	3.7%
End of Course Biology I (Missouri)	39.2	38.5	0.7%
End of Course English II (Mexico High)	41.6	39.3	2.3%
End of Course English II (Mexico 59)	41.6	39.3	2.3%
End of Course English II (Missouri)	59	54.4	4.6%
End of Course Algebra II (Mexico High)	32.2	22.6	9.6%
End of Course Algebra II (Mexico 59)	32.2	22.6	9.6%
End of Course Algebra II (Missouri)	50	48.6	1.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	745	746	0.1%
African American	49	37	24.5%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	4	5	25%
Hispanic	59	72	22%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	572	571	0.2%
Two or More Races	59	59
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57%	52.9%	4.1%

Schools Near Mexico High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)		MAP Algebra I (2024)	MAP Biology I (2024)	MAP English II (2024)	MAP Algebra II (2024)	MAP Government (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 Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mexico High	Public	9-12	639 N Wade	Mexico	65265	Audrain County	Mexico 59	No	No	No	No	(573) 581-4296	746	45	16.6	52.9%	571 (76.5%)	37 (5.0%)	72 (9.7%)	5 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (7.9%)	36.9	227^th of 378 public high schools	39.9%		27.3	253^rd of 352 public high schools	28.1%	26				26.7	31.8	50.1	34.4	25.4	$12,101	$1,630	$10,471
Davis H. Hart Career Center	Public	9-12	905 N Wade	Mexico	65265	Audrain County	Mexico 59	No	No	No	No	(573) 581-5684	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
N.E. Community Treatment Center	Public	6-12	710 S Clark	Mexico	65265	Audrain County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(573) 581-6893	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Community High	Public	6-12	35063 Hwy Bb	Laddonia	63352	Audrain County	Community R-VI	No	No	No	No	(855) 708-7567	172	18	9.5	38.4%	160 (93.0%)	2 (1.2%)	3 (1.7%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.9%)								(n/a)					21.8				$13,964	$391	$13,572
Centralia High	Public	9-12	849 S Jefferson	Centralia	65240	Boone County	Centralia R-VI	No	No	No	No	(573) 682-3508	406	30	13.5	25.9%	373 (91.9%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.9%)	37.9	223^rd of 378 public high schools	41.0%		49.1	142^nd of 352 public high schools	59.7%	81				34.3	28.3				$9,808	$1,294	$8,513
North Callaway High	Public	9-12	2700 Thunderbird Dr	Kingdom City	65262	Callaway County	North Callaway County R-I	No	No	No	No	(573) 386-2211	364	30	12.0	44.0%	337 (92.6%)	3 (0.8%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	15 (4.1%)	29.4	265^th of 378 public high schools	29.9%		36.1	215^th of 352 public high schools	38.9%	50				22.0	27.5				$11,298	$2,542	$8,756
Hallsville High	Public	9-12	421 Hwy 124 E	Hallsville	65255	Boone County	Hallsville R-IV	No	No	No	No	(573) 696-5512	448	27	16.6	24.8%	398 (88.8%)	10 (2.2%)	14 (3.1%)	5 (1.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.0%)	46.2	175^th of 378 public high schools	53.7%		58.3	88^th of 352 public high schools	75.0%	87				31.0	38.0				$9,628	$1,167	$8,461
Wellsville-Middletown High School	Public	6-12	900 Burlington Rd	Wellsville	63384	Montgomery County	Wellsville Middletown R-I	No	No	No	No	(573) 684-2017	163	17	9.3	53.4%	153 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)								(n/a)	14.3	11.2	7.2						$13,256	$2,614	$10,642

Mexico High

Mexico High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Mexico 59:

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Rank History for Mexico High

Rank History for all students at Mexico High

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Mexico High

Rank History for Special Education students at Mexico High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mexico High

Rank History for Disabled students at Mexico High

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Mexico High

Rank History for African American students at Mexico High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mexico High

Rank History for White students at Mexico High

Review counts

Enrollment information for Mexico High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Mexico High

Student/Teacher Ratio Mexico High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Mexico High

Impact of COVID-19 on Mexico High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Mexico High

Frequently Asked Questions about Mexico High

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