FORDLAND MIDDLE

Located at 1230 SCHOOL ST, in FORDLAND, Missouri, FORDLAND MIDDLE is a very small 6-8 campus that instructs 150 students (grades 6 through 8), part of FORDLAND R-III. Enrollment runs roughly 67% smaller than the state mean of about 461.

Within FORDLAND R-III, which oversees 3 schools and 650 students, FORDLAND MIDDLE is one campus in the system.

Demographically, FORDLAND MIDDLE records that nearly all students (93%) are White; the rest breaks down as 4% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Webster County as a whole.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, FORDLAND MIDDLE has 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.0:1, putting FORDLAND MIDDLE higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 41% of students at FORDLAND MIDDLE qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

With demographic context factored in, FORDLAND MIDDLE tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 50.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 38.1%.

In the broader community, Webster County reports that median household earnings sit near $71,155, roughly 18% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Webster County runs 17 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,210 students), of which FORDLAND MIDDLE is one.

Nearest neighbor: FORDLAND HIGH, around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around FORDLAND MIDDLE. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts FORDLAND MIDDLE at 7th of 7; the average score across the group is 62.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 27%: 118 students in 2018 compared to 150 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 100% to 93% across the same window. Class-load math has rose: from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 17.2:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.