Is West Plains Middle a good school?

West Plains Middle ranks 226 th of 451 Missouri middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend West Plains Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 564 students attended West Plains Middle.

What is the racial makeup of West Plains Middle?

Students at West Plains Middle are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What high school do graduates of West Plains Middle attend?

Students who attend West Plains Middle usually go on to attend West Plains Senior High

West Plains Middle

Summary:

West Plains Middle is a public middle school in West Plains, Missouri, serving 611 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the West Plains R-VII District, which is ranked 192 out of 386 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Plains Middle faces several key challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 24.1% to 32.8% in recent years, which are significantly higher than the state average and the rates of nearby schools like Liberty Middle (17.7%) and Willow Springs Middle (17.1%). The school's test scores are also generally below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels, with 5th-grade math proficiency at 22%, compared to the state average of 38.4% and the district average of 28%. Additionally, the school's performance on state assessments varies significantly across different student subgroups, with relatively low rankings for special education and gifted and talented students.

Over the past several years, West Plains Middle's statewide ranking has fluctuated but generally trended downward, from a high of 117 out of 435 Missouri middle schools in 2015-2016 to a current ranking of 226 out of 451 in 2023-2024. This suggests a need for the school to address underlying issues and implement strategies to improve student outcomes. With a high percentage of students (over 55%) qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, West Plains Middle faces challenges associated with serving a population with lower socioeconomic status, which may contribute to the school's lower academic performance and higher chronic absenteeism rates.

Detail:

Public 5-8

730 E Olden
West Plains, MO 65775-3348

(417) 256-6150

District: West Plains R-Vii

SchoolDigger Rank:
226^th of 451 Missouri Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,029

Students who attend West Plains Middle usually attend:

High:

West Plains Senior High

Feeder schools for West Plains Middle:

Elementary:	South Fork Elementary
	West Plains Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 564

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.0%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.3%

See top rated Missouri middle schools

Compare West Plains Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Plains Middle ranks worse than 50.1% of middle schools in Missouri. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.09. (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 (89%), Hispanic (4.6%), two or more races (3.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Plains Middle is 13.6. (See more...)

Compare West Plains Middle employs 41.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Plains Middle is $10,029.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

West Plains Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks West Plains Middle 226^th of 451 Missouri public middle schools. (See West Plains Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

West Plains R-Vii:

SchoolDigger ranks West Plains R-Vii 192^nd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for West Plains Middle?

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Rank History for West Plains Middle

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Rank History for all students at West Plains Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	49.79	298^th	619	51.9%
2007	61.64	193^rd	624	69.1%
2008	68.54	135^th	624	78.4%
2009	63.94	186^th	601	69.1%
2010	62.97	210^th	614	65.8%
2011	67.15	176^th	625	71.8%
2012	64.35	201^st	623	67.7%
2013	63.11	211^th	649	67.5%
2014	54.96	291^st	633	54.0%
2015	56.86	230^th	585	60.7%
2016	67.24	117^th	435	73.1%
2017	58.11	221^st	568	61.1%
2018	60.93	179^th	552	67.6%
2019	52.88	259^th	587	55.9%
2021	58.00	188^th	454	58.6%
2022	48.70	238^th	459	48.1%
2023	45.06	258^th	459	43.8%
2024	50.09	226^th	451	49.9%

See the entire list of Missouri Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Plains Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	42.03	105^th	192	45.3%
2024	31.15	141^st	194	27.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Plains Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	66.73	73^rd	422	82.7%
2019	57.81	161^st	482	66.6%
2021	75.37	53^rd	371	85.7%
2022	61.59	108^th	365	70.4%
2023	50.44	181^st	382	52.6%
2024	60.05	115^th	378	69.6%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at West Plains Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	37.73	108^th	162	33.3%
2021	19.37	178^th	195	8.7%
2022	39.59	111^th	187	40.6%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West Plains Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	47.78	73^rd	104	29.8%
2019	35.03	102^nd	121	15.7%

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

Rank History for White students at West Plains Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	53.43	187^th	479	61.0%
2019	45.69	271^st	527	48.6%
2021	45.69	198^th	376	47.3%
2022	35.13	260^th	381	31.8%
2023	37.29	244^th	385	36.6%
2024	41.27	221^st	379	41.7%

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

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Enrollment information for West Plains Middle

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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	539	539
1992	512	3	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	523
1993	541	3	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	554
1994	591	4	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	603
1995	616	5	10	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	636
1996	616	5	10	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	636
1997	628	8	7	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	648
1998	620	11	6	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	643
1999	562	9	5	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	584
2000	560	11	4	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	583
2001	560	7	1	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	579
2002	548	9	5	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	572
2003	548	9	5	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	572
2004	544	5	6	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	568
2005	531	6	7	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	553
2006	522	5	7	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	545
2007	502	8	7	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	531
2008	496	6	6	17	3	n/a	n/a	0	528
2009	513	11	6	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	552
2010	510	10	7	15	5	n/a	n/a	0	547
2011	523	10	4	12	5	0	5	0	559
2012	515	14	3	13	6	0	0	0	551
2013	531	13	2	12	6	0	1	0	565
2014	512	8	1	15	3	0	2	0	541
2015	498	8	1	13	3	0	3	0	526
2016	499	10	2	14	4	0	4	0	533
2017	510	3	1	18	1	0	10	0	543
2018	547	4	4	22	1	0	8	0	586
2019	535	7	5	19	3	0	11	0	580
2020	599	6	4	20	5	0	13	0	647
2021	576	5	5	17	2	0	20	0	625
2022	548	9	5	21	3	1	25	0	612
2023	558	8	7	15	2	1	20	0	611
2024	502	2	11	26	2	1	20	0	564

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 West Plains Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	539	30.9	17.4	29.3
1992	523	29.0	18.0	32.1
1993	554	32.2	17.2	33.2
1994	603	32.2	18.7	40.3
1995	636	34.8	18.3	40.3
1996	636	34.8	18.3	40.3
1997	648	36.4	17.8	45.4
1998	643	37.3	17.2	47.7
1999	584	37.2	15.7	51.2
2000	583	36.9	15.8	52
2001	579	36.6	15.8	58
2002	572	37.2	15.4	67
2003	572	37.2	15.4	67
2004	568	35.1	16.2	69
2005	553	34.3	16.1	60.9
2006	545	35.4	15.4	60.9
2007	531	34.4	15.4	55.7
2008	528	36.3	14.5	59.1
2009	552	36.5	15.1	55.3
2010	547	34.9	15.6	65.8
2011	559	35.6	15.6	60.8
2012	551	37.2	14.7	63.7
2013	565	38.0	14.8	65.8
2014	541	37.1	14.5	72.3
2015	526	38.0	13.8	74.5
2016	533	36.0	14.8	63.6
2017	543	36.7	14.7	73.3
2018	586	37.2	15.7	64.2
2019	580	40.2	14.4	62.6
2020	647	44.7	14.4	61.8
2021	625	36.4	17.1	58.1
2022	612	43.7	13.9	55.7
2023	611	42.9	14.2	58.3
2024	564	41.2	13.6	66.3

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 West Plains Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	539	30.9	17.4	29.3
1992	523	29.0	18.0	32.1
1993	554	32.2	17.2	33.2
1994	603	32.2	18.7	40.3
1995	636	34.8	18.3	40.3
1996	636	34.8	18.3	40.3
1997	648	36.4	17.8	45.4
1998	643	37.3	17.2	47.7
1999	584	37.2	15.7	51.2
2000	583	36.9	15.8	52
2001	579	36.6	15.8	58
2002	572	37.2	15.4	67
2003	572	37.2	15.4	67
2004	568	35.1	16.2	69
2005	553	34.3	16.1	60.9
2006	545	35.4	15.4	60.9
2007	531	34.4	15.4	55.7
2008	528	36.3	14.5	59.1
2009	552	36.5	15.1	55.3
2010	547	34.9	15.6	65.8
2011	559	35.6	15.6	60.8
2012	551	37.2	14.7	63.7
2013	565	38.0	14.8	65.8
2014	541	37.1	14.5	72.3
2015	526	38.0	13.8	74.5
2016	533	36.0	14.8	63.6
2017	543	36.7	14.7	73.3
2018	586	37.2	15.7	64.2
2019	580	40.2	14.4	62.6
2020	647	44.7	14.4	61.8
2021	625	36.4	17.1	58.1
2022	612	43.7	13.9	55.7
2023	611	42.9	14.2	58.3
2024	564	41.2	13.6	66.3

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 West Plains Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$689 (7.9%)	$8,034 (92.1%)	$8,723
2020	$897 (10.6%)	$7,576 (89.4%)	$8,474
2021	$1,180 (13.8%)	$7,353 (86.2%)	$8,533
2022	$1,269 (12.7%)	$8,760 (87.3%)	$10,029

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Plains 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 259^th of 587 Middle schools	Ranks 258^th of 459 Middle schools	12.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade Mathematics (West Plains Middle)	25.7	31	5.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Plains R-Vii)	30.9	35.3	4.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (West Plains Middle)	34.1	38.1	4%
5th Grade Science (West Plains R-Vii)	38.9	43.4	4.5%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains Middle)	38.9	33.4	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains R-Vii)	43.2	36.1	7.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Plains Middle)	51.3	60.7	9.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Plains R-Vii)	51.8	62	10.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	42.5	43.7	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains Middle)	46.1	36	10.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains R-Vii)	45.3	38.5	6.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	45.9	37.5	8.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Plains Middle)	42.2	32.9	9.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Plains R-Vii)	42.2	32.9	9.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	38	39.5	1.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains Middle)	40.2	40.6	0.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains R-Vii)	40.2	40.6	0.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	43.6	37.3	6.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Plains Middle)	31.7	12.3	19.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Plains R-Vii)	31.7	12.3	19.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	29	30	1%
8th Grade Science (West Plains Middle)	40.2	21.5	18.7%
8th Grade Science (West Plains R-Vii)	40.2	21.5	18.7%
8th Grade Science (Missouri)	43.7	37.8	5.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains Middle)	43	32.8	10.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Plains R-Vii)	43	32.8	10.2%
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	580	611	5.3%
African American	7	8	14.3%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	5	7	40%
Hispanic	19	15	21.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	535	558	4.3%
Two or More Races	11	20	81.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	62.6%	58.3%	4.3%

Schools Near West Plains Middle

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)				MAP Algebra I (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 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 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
West Plains Middle	Public	5-8	730 E Olden	West Plains	65775	Howell County	West Plains R-Vii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 256-6150	564	41	13.6	66.3%	502 (89.0%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (4.6%)	11 (2.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.5%)	50.1	226^th of 451 public middle schools	49.9%		45.1	258^th of 459 public middle schools	43.8%	32	22.0	49.2	41.5	21.4	24.4	29.2	16.8	32.6	29.9	40.6	80.0	$10,029	$1,269	$8,760
Willow Springs Middle	Public	5-8	215 W Fourth St	Willow Springs	65793	Howell County	Willow Springs R-IV	No	No	No	No	(417) 469-3211	361	35	10.2	68.7%	331 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	4 (1.1%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.6%)	65.7	131^st of 451 public middle schools	71.0%		58.3	179^th of 459 public middle schools	61.0%	48	45.0	37.1	44.5		58.7	48.7	46.0	42.9	32.3	49.3	76.0	$10,759	$2,327	$8,432
Liberty Middle	Public	6-8	1054 Old Hwy 60	Mountain View	65548	Howell County	Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 934-2020	280	23	12.4	66.1%	269 (96.1%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	64.7	138^th of 451 public middle schools	69.4%		46.1	252^nd of 459 public middle schools	45.1%	114		49.9	37.4	49.4		35.0		33.7	35.1	51.0		$7,807	$1,334	$6,474

West Plains Middle

West Plains Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

West Plains R-Vii:

What do you think?

Rank History for West Plains Middle

Rank History for all students at West Plains Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at West Plains Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Plains Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at West Plains Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at West Plains Middle

Rank History for White students at West Plains Middle

Enrollment information for West Plains Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Plains Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio West Plains Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Plains Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on West Plains Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near West Plains Middle