EAST MIDDLE

EAST MIDDLE operates as a mid-sized middle-grades school in JOPLIN, Missouri, run under JOPLIN SCHOOLS. Current enrollment sits at 592 students spanning grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 28% larger than the state mean of about 461.

Across the 15 schools in JOPLIN SCHOOLS (7,873 students total), EAST MIDDLE accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, EAST MIDDLE logs that White students make up the majority at 62%. Beyond that, the school shows 17% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, 3% Black, 3% Pacific Islander. By comparison, Jasper County as a whole is about 83% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.3:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 70% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Jasper County (around 57%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

After controlling for student poverty, EAST MIDDLE sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.0%; this one delivers 51.5%.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Jasper County shows median household income runs about $60,694, 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. In all, Jasper County runs 49 public schools (combined enrollment of about 21,177 students), of which EAST MIDDLE is one.

Nearest neighbor: SOARING HEIGHTS ELEM., around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), EAST MIDDLE ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 45.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at EAST MIDDLE has held roughly steady, going from 603 students in 2018 to 592 in 2025. The White share of enrollment fell from 70% to 62% over that span.

Inside the community feed, members of the EAST MIDDLE community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.