POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL

POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of the expansive 6-8 campuss in POPLAR BLUFF, Missouri, operated by POPLAR BLUFF R-I, with 932 students on its rolls from grades 4 through 6. Compared to the state average of about 461 students per school, that is 102% larger than typical.

Within POPLAR BLUFF R-I, which oversees 9 schools and 4,899 students, POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL shows that White students make up the majority at 77%. Beyond that, the school logs 10% Black, 9% multiracial, 3% Hispanic. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 87%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 74 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.6:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Around 73% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 49.9%, the actual is 32.8%, a residual of -17.1 points.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Butler County shows median household earnings sit near $49,089, about 16% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 13%. Across Butler County's 20 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,435 students), POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is POPLAR BLUFF JR. HIGH, roughly 0.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL operates from a town-center location.

Looking at the recent track record. POPLAR BLUFF MIDDLE SCHOOL's enrollment has declined 22% since 2018, when it stood at 1,197 (now 932). Class-load math has narrowed: from 23.3:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.