COWDEN ELEM.

COWDEN ELEM. is a mid-sized elementary-level community in SPRINGFIELD, Missouri, part of SPRINGFIELD R-XII. The school enrolls 273 students in grades pre-K through 5.

Within SPRINGFIELD R-XII, which oversees 54 schools and 24,450 students, COWDEN ELEM. is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, COWDEN ELEM. lists that White students make up the majority at 62%; the rest breaks down as 14% Hispanic, 10% multiracial, 7% Asian, 6% Black. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 86%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.0:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.4:1, putting COWDEN ELEM. higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 60% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Greene County runs at roughly 47%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat above the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, COWDEN ELEM. performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 50.1%, the actual is 37.3%, a residual of -12.9 points.

Around the school, census data for Greene County shows median household earnings sit near $61,479, about 34% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Across Greene County's 97 public schools (combined enrollment of about 42,423 students), COWDEN ELEM. is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is HOLLAND ELEM., roughly 0.7 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts COWDEN ELEM. at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 54.2%.

The campus sits in an urban setting.

Looking at the recent track record. COWDEN ELEM.'s enrollment has ticked down 12% since 2018, when it stood at 310 (now 273). Over the same period, the White share fell from 68% to 62%.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.