POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH

POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH is a junior high of high-enrollment scale in POPLAR BLUFF, Missouri, one of the schools within POPLAR BLUFF R-I, hosting 735 students in grades 7 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 461 students per school, that is 59% above typical.

Across the 9 schools in POPLAR BLUFF R-I (4,899 students total), POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH shows that 75% of the student body identifies as White; the rest is composed of 11% Black, 9% multiracial, 4% Hispanic. By comparison, Butler County as a whole is about 87% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 56 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.0:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 64% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is noticeably below Butler County's rate of about 74%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.1%; this one delivers 37.9%.

Zooming out to the county, Butler County reports that median household earnings sit near $49,089, roughly 16% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Butler County's 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,435 students), POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH is one campus in the mix.

POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH operates from a small-town location.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 9%: 806 students in 2018 compared to 735 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 82% to 75% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.9:1 in 2018 to 13.1:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the feed for POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH typically covers enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.