Enrollment
735
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Poplar Bluff, MO
Poplar Bluff Jr. High
Federal NCES profile for Poplar Bluff Jr. High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292545001469
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poplar Bluff Jr. High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #6 of 12
- public schools in Poplar Bluff · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 53.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Poplar Bluff Jr. High has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Bluff Jr. High ranks #6 of 12 public schools in Poplar Bluff, MO.
School address
District: Poplar Bluff R-I · Missouri
NCES ID 292545001469 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poplar Bluff Jr. High compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poplar Bluff Jr. High
Poplar Bluff Jr. High is a higher-need, large middle school in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, enrolling 735 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.1% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Missouri, bigger than 91% of state schools at 735 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 148 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #94.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 368 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% 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.
Discipline events run high: 173 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 735 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Poplar Bluff R-I also operates Poplar Bluff High (1,416 students) and Poplar Bluff Middle School (932 students) alongside Poplar Bluff Jr. 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 Jr. High compares
Poplar Bluff Jr. 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 | 13.9:1 | ▲ 9% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.1% | ▲ 15% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 735 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
735
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 68% in Missouri - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.9%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 368 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
70
in-school suspensions + 103 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.5 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 75.4%
African American 11.0%
Two or More 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 75.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Poplar Bluff Jr. High is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Poplar Bluff R-I, which includes Poplar Bluff Jr. 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 Jr. High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar Bluff High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Poplar Bluff Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poplar Bluff Jr. High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,416
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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 middle 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 (~735 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poplar Bluff Jr. High's federal record.
- Compare Poplar Bluff Jr. 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 Jr. High
How many students attend Poplar Bluff Jr. High?
Poplar Bluff Jr. High has 735 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Poplar Bluff, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poplar Bluff Jr. High?
The student-teacher ratio at Poplar Bluff Jr. High is 13.9:1, which is 9% higher than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Poplar Bluff Jr. High?
53.1% of students at Poplar Bluff Jr. High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poplar Bluff Jr. High?
The largest demographic group at Poplar Bluff Jr. High is White at 75.4% of enrollment, in Poplar Bluff, MO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poplar Bluff Jr. High?
Poplar Bluff Jr. High has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Poplar Bluff Jr. High rank among public schools in Poplar Bluff?
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Bluff Jr. High ranks #6 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 Jr. High a good school?
Poplar Bluff Jr. High earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median. 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 Jr. High, Poplar Bluff R-I also operates Poplar Bluff High (1,416 students), Poplar Bluff Middle School (932 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.