Total enrollment
9,884
+1,447 (+17%) vs SY 2020-21
Pulaski County
Missouri · Public K-12
Pulaski County in Missouri is home to 23 public K-12 schools, serving roughly 9,884 students between them, broken out as 12 elementary, 4 middle, and 6 high. Waynesville R-Vi is the largest district by enrollment.
4-year change in Pulaski County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
21
+2 (+11%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Pulaski County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Missouri | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 40.3% | #46 of 100 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 9,884 | #18 of 101 | #826 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 21 | #24 of 101 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.3:1 | #101 of 101 | #1,871 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 43.9% | #76 of 101 | #1,932 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 53.7% | #9 of 99 | #913 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Pulaski County school rankings
Residents
53,894
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
23
6 districts
Enrollment
9,884
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$64,466
Above Missouri avg
Free/reduced lunch
43.9%
Below Missouri avg
Elementary
12
4,244 students
Middle
4
1,554 students
High
6
2,709 students
Combined / other
1
1,377 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
WAYNESVILLE R-VI
6,190 students · 6 districts in Pulaski County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Pulaski 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+
25.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.7%
civilian labor
Median age
28
21.9% under 18
Test scores in Pulaski County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 16 schools ranked. Missouri state average: 44.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- THAYER ELEM.· 68.0%
- PARTRIDGE ELEM.· 56.9%
- WAYNESVILLE SR. HIGH· 55.3%
- FREEDOM ELEM.· 54.7%
- WOOD ELEM.· 52.2%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Missouri Digital Academy· 16.7%
- CROCKER HIGH· 22.4%
- Laquey R-V Middle· 23.5%
- DIXON MIDDLE· 25.2%
- LAQUEY R-V ELEM.· 29.3%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAYNESVILLE SR. HIGH | Waynesville | High | 09-12 | 1,719 | · |
| Missouri Digital Academy | Laquey | Combined | KG-12 | 1,377 | · |
| FREEDOM ELEM. | St Robert | Elementary | KG-05 | 954 | · |
| WAYNESVILLE EAST ELEM. | Waynesville | Elementary | KG-05 | 920 | · |
| WAYNESVILLE MIDDLE | Waynesville | Middle | 07-08 | 906 | · |
| 6TH GRADE CENTER | Waynesville | Middle | 06-06 | 451 | · |
| DIXON ELEM. | Dixon | Elementary | PK-05 | 383 | · |
| PARTRIDGE ELEM. | Ft Leonard Wood | Elementary | KG-05 | 375 | · |
| CROCKER HIGH | Crocker | High | 06-12 | 296 | · |
| WOOD ELEM. | Ft Leonard Wood | Elementary | KG-05 | 295 | · |
| WILLIAMS EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR | Fort Leonard Wood | Elementary | PK-PK | 294 | · |
| DIXON HIGH | Dixon | High | 09-12 | 271 | · |
| THAYER ELEM. | Ft Leonard Wood | Elementary | KG-05 | 242 | · |
| RICHLAND ELEM. | Richland | Elementary | PK-06 | 240 | · |
| CROCKER ELEM. | Crocker | Elementary | PK-05 | 236 | · |
| LAQUEY R-V ELEM. | Laquey | Elementary | PK-04 | 236 | · |
| RICHLAND HIGH | Richland | High | 07-12 | 218 | · |
| Laquey R-V High | Laquey | High | 09-12 | 205 | · |
| DIXON MIDDLE | Dixon | Middle | 06-08 | 197 | · |
| SWEDEBORG ELEM. | Richland | Elementary | PK-08 | 35 | · |
| Parker Educational Center | Waynesville | Elementary | PK-PK | 34 | · |
| WAYNESVILLE CAREER CENTER | Waynesville | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Laquey R-V Middle | Laquey | Middle | 05-08 | · | · |
Cities in Pulaski County
About Pulaski County
In Missouri, Pulaski County is a thinly populated county of about 53,894 residents. 23 public schools across the county instructs about 9,884 students between them.
For perspective, census numbers show median household income runs near $64,466, roughly 26% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate is around 8%. That income level is 5% higher than the Missouri median.
On the school-mix side, Pulaski County is made up of 12 elementary schools (4,244 students), 4 middle schools (1,554), 6 high schools (2,709), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Pulaski County is WAYNESVILLE R-VI, which alone enrolls about 6,190 students.
Five-year track record. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment climbed 17%: 8,437 students in SY 2020-21 versus 9,884 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Pulaski County opened 2 schools, going from 19 to 21.
On this page, the community for Pulaski County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data