Best Public Schools in Springfield, MO

The city of Springfield, Missouri is home to 58 schools in the Springfield R-XII school district, including 37 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 9 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. The district is ranked 182 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Some of the standout schools in the district include Kickapoo High School, which is ranked 80th out of 378 Missouri high schools and has a 4-star rating, as well as Central High School, a magnet school ranked 139th with strong performance on state assessments. At the middle school level, Cherokee Middle School is ranked 26th out of 451 Missouri middle schools and has exceptional performance on state assessments, while Hickory Hills Middle School is ranked 47th and has strong performance across multiple subjects.

However, the data also reveals significant performance gaps between the highest-performing and lowest-performing schools, both within the district and compared to state averages. Chronic absenteeism rates are high across the district, ranging from 25.9% to 50.7%, and there appears to be a correlation between the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch and academic performance, with the schools serving more economically disadvantaged populations generally performing worse on state assessments. The wide range in per-student spending, from $10,439 to $16,381, also suggests potential funding disparities that may contribute to these performance gaps.