Enrollment
1,416
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Poplar Bluff, MO
Poplar Bluff High
Federal NCES profile for Poplar Bluff High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 292545001475
👥 S:T ratio 36
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poplar Bluff High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri.
- #11 of 12
- public schools in Poplar Bluff · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Missouri
- 47.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Poplar Bluff High has class sizes larger than 87% of Missouri schools. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Bluff High ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Poplar Bluff, MO.
School address
District: Poplar Bluff R-I · Missouri
NCES ID 292545001475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
89.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.2%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poplar Bluff High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poplar Bluff High
Poplar Bluff High is a large high school in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, enrolling 1,416 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.9:1 is larger than about 87% of Missouri schools and 24% above the 12.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,416 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,313 Missouri schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 35 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Missouri schools statewide, it ranks #27, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 354 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Poplar Bluff R-I also operates Poplar Bluff Middle School (932 students) and Poplar Bluff Jr. High (735 students) alongside Poplar Bluff High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Poplar Bluff High compares
Poplar Bluff High on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 24% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.2% | ▲ 2% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,416 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,416
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% above the Missouri average of 46.1%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 87% in Missouri - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,549
per pupil, district-wide
- below Missouri avg of $12,931
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 354 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
131
in-school suspensions + 124 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 75.1%
African American 10.7%
Two or More 8.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.5, Poplar Bluff High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poplar Bluff R-I, which includes Poplar Bluff High.
$10,549
Per student
-18%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 36.8%
Federal 20.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Poplar Bluff High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar Bluff Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poplar Bluff Jr. High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| O'neal Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Ctr. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Grove Elem. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poplar Bluff High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 344
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,416 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poplar Bluff High's federal record.
- Compare Poplar Bluff High against another school. Compare schools
- Poplar Bluff R-I's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Poplar Bluff High
How many students attend Poplar Bluff High?
Poplar Bluff High has 1,416 students enrolled. It is a high school in Poplar Bluff, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poplar Bluff High?
The student-teacher ratio at Poplar Bluff High is 15.9:1, which is 24% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Poplar Bluff High?
47.2% of students at Poplar Bluff High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poplar Bluff High?
The largest demographic group at Poplar Bluff High is White at 75.1% of enrollment, in Poplar Bluff, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poplar Bluff High?
Poplar Bluff High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Poplar Bluff High rank among public schools in Poplar Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Bluff High ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Poplar Bluff, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Poplar Bluff on the city page.
Is Poplar Bluff High a good school?
Poplar Bluff High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Missouri schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Missouri. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Poplar Bluff R-I?
Besides Poplar Bluff High, Poplar Bluff R-I also operates Poplar Bluff Middle School (932 students), Poplar Bluff Jr. High (735 students), and O'neal Elem. (344 students). See the Poplar Bluff R-I district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.