Enrollment
389
Elementary
STATE 315
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·RICHARDS R-V·NCES 292637001546
RICHARDS ELEM.
3461 COUNTY RD 1710, WEST PLAINS, MO 65775 · (417) 256-5239 · Howell County
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL389 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
15.0:1
26 FTE teachers
STATE 12.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
63%
245 students
STATE 54%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MO DVT (Growth) 2024-25 . Growth Percentile vs PeersEnglish Language Arts
44.1%
MO avg 49.5% . -30.8pp since 2023
Math
81.5%
MO avg 48.7% . +1.9pp since 2023
What this means: On the MO DVT (Growth), Missouri's statewide test, about 44 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 82 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 50 and 49. Reading and writing scores are down about 31 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 2 points.
Source: MO DVT (Growth). All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
62.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
50.1%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+12.2pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 62% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 50% typical for Missouri schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Missouri's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
389
-25 (-6%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
15.0:1
was 16.9:1
% White
95%
was 94%
% Hispanic
2%
was 3%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About RICHARDS ELEM.
RICHARDS ELEM. is an average-sized elementary-level community in WEST PLAINS, Missouri, part of RICHARDS R-V. The school works with 389 students in grades pre-K through 8. That puts it 23% bigger than the typical public school in Missouri, which averages around 315 students.
RICHARDS ELEM. is a school of RICHARDS R-V, the district that handles curriculum, staffing, and budget for the campus.
On the student-mix side, RICHARDS ELEM. shows that nearly all students (95%) are White. Beyond that, the school logs 2% multiracial. Compared to Howell County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.
In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 26 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.4:1, putting RICHARDS ELEM. higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 63% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.
With demographic context factored in, RICHARDS ELEM. sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 50.1%; this one delivers 62.3%.
Across the wider county, Howell County reports that the typical household earns roughly $50,993 per year, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 15%. In all, Howell County runs 15 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,704 students), of which RICHARDS ELEM. is one.
The closest other public school is OZARK HORIZON SCHOOL, roughly 2.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools. On composite proficiency, RICHARDS ELEM. comes 2nd of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 51.0%.
Geographically, the school is in a small-town area.
Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at RICHARDS ELEM. has declined 6%, going from 414 students in 2018 to 389 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 16.9:1 in 2018 to 15.0:1 today.
On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Howell County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
40,383
Census ACS
Median income
$50,993
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
15%
Below federal line
Schools in county
15
5,704 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in WEST PLAINS
- WEST PLAINS SR. HIGHHigh · 1,108 students
- WEST PLAINS ELEM.Elementary · 767 students
- WEST PLAINS MIDDLEMiddle · 555 students
- FAIRVIEW ELEM.Elementary · 466 students
- GLENWOOD ELEM.Elementary · 252 students
- HOWELL VALLEY ELEM.Elementary · 201 students
Nearby schools
- OZARK HORIZON SCHOOL2.0 mi · 17
- WEST PLAINS ELEM.4.4 mi · 767
- WEST PLAINS SR. HIGH4.6 mi · 1,108
- WEST PLAINS MIDDLE4.7 mi · 555
- FAIRVIEW ELEM.5.4 mi · 466
- JUNCTION HILL ELEM.6.2 mi · 186
Frequently asked questions
About RICHARDS ELEM.What is the total enrollment at RICHARDS ELEM.?
RICHARDS ELEM. enrolls approximately 389 students in grades PK-08.
What age range does RICHARDS ELEM. serve?
RICHARDS ELEM. serves students from grade PK through grade 08.
How many students per teacher at RICHARDS ELEM.?
Approximately 15.0:1 students per teacher at RICHARDS ELEM..
How diverse is RICHARDS ELEM.?
RICHARDS ELEM. reports a student body of 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Two or more.
Who oversees RICHARDS ELEM.?
RICHARDS ELEM. is overseen by RICHARDS R-V in Howell County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.