DEXTER HIGH

DEXTER HIGH, a medium-sized secondary school in DEXTER, Missouri, one of the schools within DEXTER R-XI, caters to 553 students, covering grades 9 through 12.

Across the 5 schools in DEXTER R-XI (2,008 students total), DEXTER HIGH accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, DEXTER HIGH reports that nearly all students (91%) are White; the rest comes out to 4% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. Compared to Stoddard County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

In terms of school funding signals, The school lists 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.0:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 12.2:1 average. Roughly 45% of students at DEXTER HIGH qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Stoddard County runs at roughly 53%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, DEXTER HIGH ranks in the top 10% of Missouri public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 50.4%; DEXTER HIGH posts 78.9%, +28.5 points above that line.

Around the school, Stoddard County reports that median household earnings sit near $57,957, 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. DEXTER HIGH is one of 23 public schools in Stoddard County (combined enrollment of about 4,712 students).

Nearest neighbor: SOUTHWEST ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 5 other public schools. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), DEXTER HIGH ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 45.5%.

DEXTER HIGH operates from a town-center location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at DEXTER HIGH has contracted 8%, going from 604 students in 2018 to 553 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 96% to 91%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 16.0:1 in 2018 to 14.0:1 today.

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