HOLDEN HIGH

Set in HOLDEN, Missouri, HOLDEN HIGH is a small secondary school, part of HOLDEN R-III. It educates 391 students across grades 9 through 12. By comparison, Missouri's public schools average about 501 students each, so HOLDEN HIGH sits 22% leaner than that benchmark.

HOLDEN R-III comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 1,232 students; HOLDEN HIGH is among them.

Demographically, HOLDEN HIGH shows that nearly all students (89%) are White. Other groups include 4% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Johnson County as a whole.

On the resource side, On paper, HOLDEN HIGH has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.2:1, putting HOLDEN HIGH higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 48% of students at HOLDEN HIGH qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, HOLDEN HIGH tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 50.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 65.9%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Johnson County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $67,272 per year, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Johnson County's 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,058 students), HOLDEN HIGH is one campus in the mix.

HOLDEN MIDDLE is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around HOLDEN HIGH. On composite proficiency, HOLDEN HIGH comes 1st of 9 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 44.6%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at HOLDEN HIGH has expanded 8%, going from 361 students in 2018 to 391 in 2025. Class-load math has widened: from 13.1:1 in 2018 to 14.3:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.