PENNEY HIGH

PENNEY HIGH, a tiny senior high in HAMILTON, Missouri, run under HAMILTON R-II, serves 186 students, covering grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 501 students per school, that is 63% below typical.

Across the 3 schools in HAMILTON R-II (606 students total), PENNEY HIGH accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, PENNEY HIGH reports that nearly all students (92%) are White. Other groups include 4% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Caldwell County as a whole.

On the income-and-resources front, PENNEY HIGH logs 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 9.6:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 12.2:1 average. About 40% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is south of Caldwell County's rate of about 49%.

After controlling for student poverty, PENNEY HIGH sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.5%; this one delivers 66.5%.

Zooming out to the county, ACS estimates for Caldwell County put median household income runs about $64,806, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. In all, Caldwell County runs 14 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,441 students), of which PENNEY HIGH is one.

Nearest neighbor: HAMILTON MIDDLE, around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around PENNEY HIGH. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts PENNEY HIGH at 2nd of 5; the average score across the group is 45.3%.

PENNEY HIGH operates from a low-density location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 13%: 214 students in 2018 compared to 186 in 2025. Class-load math has fell: from 11.2:1 in 2018 to 9.6:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.