Total enrollment
10,946
+453 (+4%) vs SY 2017-18
Cape Girardeau County
Missouri · Public K-12
Cape Girardeau County runs 27 public K-12 schools inside Missouri, with the county population around 82,735. The mix is 15 elementary, 4 middle, and 7 high.
7-year change in Cape Girardeau County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
23
-3 (-12%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
71%
was 76%
% Hispanic
5%
was 4%
% Black
15%
was 14%
% Asian
2%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
27
7 districts
Enrollment
11,025
NCES CCD
Median income
$68,464
Above Missouri avg
Free/reduced lunch
62.2%
Above Missouri avg
Elementary
15
4,595 students
Middle
4
2,973 students
High
7
3,432 students
Combined / other
1
25 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
JACKSON R-II
5,827 students · 7 districts in Cape Girardeau County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Cape Girardeau 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+
33.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.3%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
2.3%
civilian labor
Median age
37
21.3% under 18
Test scores in Cape Girardeau County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 18 schools ranked. Missouri state average: 49.5%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- OAK RIDGE ELEM.· 79.9%
- NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.· 68.5%
- DELTA HIGH· 66.9%
- ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM.· 66.0%
- NORTH ELEM.· 62.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- BLANCHARD ELEM.· 19.0%
- RUSSELL HAWKINS JR. HIGH· 22.2%
- CENTRAL JR. HIGH· 26.3%
- ALMA SCHRADER ELEM.· 28.0%
- WEST LANE ELEM.· 33.0%
See all 18 schools in Cape Girardeau County ranked by score →
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACKSON SR. HIGH | Jackson | High | 09-12 | 1,830 | · |
| CENTRAL HIGH | Cape Girardeau | High | 09-12 | 1,278 | · |
| RUSSELL HAWKINS JR. HIGH | Jackson | Middle | 07-08 | 867 | · |
| JACKSON MIDDLE | Jackson | Middle | 05-06 | 850 | · |
| EAST ELEMENTARY | Jackson | Elementary | PK-04 | 726 | · |
| CENTRAL JR. HIGH | Cape Girardeau | Middle | 07-08 | 633 | · |
| CENTRAL MIDDLE | Cape Girardeau | Middle | 05-06 | 623 | · |
| JEFFERSON ELEM. | Cape Girardeau | Elementary | PK-05 | 494 | · |
| SOUTH ELEM. | Jackson | Elementary | KG-04 | 433 | · |
| ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. | Jackson | Elementary | KG-04 | 404 | · |
| WEST LANE ELEM. | Jackson | Elementary | KG-04 | 389 | · |
| CLIPPARD ELEM. | Cape Girardeau | Elementary | PK-04 | 383 | · |
| ALMA SCHRADER ELEM. | Cape Girardeau | Elementary | KG-04 | 332 | · |
| BLANCHARD ELEM. | Cape Girardeau | Elementary | PK-04 | 326 | · |
| NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. | Cape Girardeau | Elementary | PK-08 | 249 | · |
| NORTH ELEM. | Jackson | Elementary | KG-04 | 249 | · |
| FRANKLIN ELEM. | Cape Girardeau | Elementary | PK-04 | 241 | · |
| OAK RIDGE HIGH | Oak Ridge | High | 06-12 | 183 | · |
| OAK RIDGE ELEM. | Oak Ridge | Elementary | PK-05 | 182 | · |
| DELTA HIGH | Delta | High | 06-12 | 117 | · |
| DELTA ELEM. | Delta | Elementary | PK-05 | 108 | · |
| GORDONVILLE ATTENDANCE CTR | Jackson | Elementary | KG-02 | 43 | · |
| MILLERSVILLE ATTENDANCE CTR. | Millersville | Elementary | KG-02 | 36 | · |
| PARKVIEW SCHOOL | Cape Girardeau | Combined | KG-12 | 25 | · |
| GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH | Cape Girardeau | High | 05-12 | 24 | · |
| CAPE GIRARDEAU CAR TECH CTR. | Cape Girardeau | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| ECHO DAY TREATMENT CTR. | Cape Girardeau | High | 06-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Cape Girardeau County
About Cape Girardeau County
Cape Girardeau County is an average-sized Missouri county of about 82,735 residents, home to 27 public schools and roughly 11,025 students.
Stepping back, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $68,464, 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 6%. That income level is 12% meaningfully above the Missouri median.
Looking at the level breakdown, Cape Girardeau County consists of 15 elementary schools (4,595 students), 4 middle schools (2,973), 7 high schools (3,432), and 1 combined or other schools.
JACKSON R-II is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 5,827 students across Cape Girardeau County.
Over the past 7-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 10,946 students, expanded 4% from the 10,493 reported in SY 2017-18. The school count fell from 26 to 23 across the same 7-year window. The White share of public-school enrollment decreased from 76% to 71%.
On this page, the community for Cape Girardeau 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
Cape Girardeau County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data