Total enrollment
6,435
-466 (-7%) vs SY 2017-18
Butler County
Missouri · Public K-12
Butler County reports 20 public K-12 schools to NCES, against a population of 42,020, with an average school size of 322 students. By grade band, the county runs 10 elementary, 3 middle, and 6 high schools.
7-year change in Butler County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
19
+1 (+6%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
79%
was 84%
% Hispanic
3%
was 2%
% Black
9%
was 10%
% Asian
1%
was 0%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
42,020
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
20
5 districts
Enrollment
6,435
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$49,089
Below Missouri avg
Free/reduced lunch
73.8%
Above Missouri avg
Elementary
10
2,565 students
Middle
3
1,796 students
High
6
2,035 students
Combined / other
1
39 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
POPLAR BLUFF R-I
4,899 students · 5 districts in Butler County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Butler County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
15.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
12.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.8%
civilian labor
Median age
40
23.3% under 18
Test scores in Butler County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 6 schools ranked. Missouri state average: 49.5%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- NEELYVILLE ELEM.· 88.3%
- QULIN MIDDLE· 43.8%
- POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL· 33.3%
- FISK ELEMENTARY· 31.5%
- POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH· 25.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- NEELYVILLE HIGH· 20.9%
- POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH· 25.3%
- FISK ELEMENTARY· 31.5%
- POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL· 33.3%
- QULIN MIDDLE· 43.8%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POPLAR BLUFF HIGH | Poplar Bluff | High | 09-12 | 1,416 | · |
| POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL | Poplar Bluff | Middle | 04-06 | 932 | · |
| POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH | Poplar Bluff | Middle | 07-08 | 735 | · |
| O'NEAL ELEM. | Poplar Bluff | Elementary | 01-03 | 344 | · |
| POPLAR BLUFF KINDERGARTEN CTR. | Poplar Bluff | Elementary | KG-KG | 333 | · |
| OAK GROVE ELEM. | Poplar Bluff | Elementary | 01-03 | 317 | · |
| FISK ELEMENTARY | Fisk | Elementary | PK-08 | 309 | · |
| NEELYVILLE HIGH | Neelyville | High | 07-12 | 301 | · |
| LAKE ROAD ELEM. | Poplar Bluff | Elementary | 01-06 | 300 | · |
| POPLAR BLUFF EARLY CHILDHOOD C | Poplar Bluff | Elementary | PK-PK | 295 | · |
| TWIN RIVERS HIGH | Broseley | High | 09-12 | 250 | · |
| EUGENE FIELD ELEM. | Poplar Bluff | Elementary | 01-03 | 227 | · |
| NEELYVILLE ELEM. | Neelyville | Elementary | 03-06 | 188 | · |
| HILLVIEW ELEM. | Harviell | Elementary | PK-02 | 144 | · |
| QULIN MIDDLE | Qulin | Middle | 04-08 | 129 | · |
| QULIN ELEMENTARY | Qulin | Elementary | PK-03 | 108 | · |
| W. E. SEARS YOUTH CTR. | Poplar Bluff | High | 05-12 | 54 | · |
| SHADY GROVE SCHOOL | Poplar Bluff | Combined | KG-12 | 39 | · |
| SIERRA-OSAGE TREATMENT CTR. | Poplar Bluff | High | 05-12 | 14 | · |
| POPLAR BLUFF TECH. CAREER CTR. | Poplar Bluff | High | 10-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Butler County
About Butler County
Butler County is a sparse county of about 42,020 residents in Missouri. Its public-school system serves approximately 6,435 students across 20 schools.
Zooming out, census numbers show median household income runs near $49,089, about 16% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 13%. That income level is 20% noticeably below the Missouri median.
On the school-mix side, Butler County is built around 10 elementary schools (2,565 students), 3 middle schools (1,796), 6 high schools (2,035), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Butler County is POPLAR BLUFF R-I, which alone enrolls about 4,899 students.
Five-year track record. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment shrank 7%: 6,901 students in SY 2017-18 versus 6,435 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Butler County added 1 school, going from 18 to 19. Demographically, the White share of enrollment decreased from 84% to 79%.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Butler County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Butler County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data