GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH

GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH is one of the one-room-style high schools in CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri, part of DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE, with 24 students on its rolls from grades 5 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 501 students per school, that is 95% leaner than typical.

DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICE comprises 26 schools with combined enrollment of 496 students; GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH is among them.

Demographically, GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH shows that the most-represented group is Black (46%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school reports 38% White, 17% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 7% Black, putting the school's mix visibly more Black than the area baseline.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 6.0:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 12.2:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 88% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Cape Girardeau County (around 62%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Cape Girardeau County indicate median household income runs about $68,464, roughly 33% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH is one of 27 public schools in Cape Girardeau County (combined enrollment of about 11,025 students).

BLANCHARD ELEM. is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.2 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in a metropolitan setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged up 200%: 8 students in 2018 compared to 24 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 88% to 38%. Class-load math has rose: from 2.0:1 in 2018 to 6.0:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.