RICHLAND ELEM.

RICHLAND ELEM. is one of the compact elementary schools in ESSEX, Missouri, overseen by RICHLAND R-I, with 158 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 315 students per school, that is 50% below typical.

Within RICHLAND R-I, which oversees 2 schools and 283 students, RICHLAND ELEM. is one campus in the system.

On demographics, RICHLAND ELEM. shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (89%). Other groups include 4% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 3% Black.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, RICHLAND ELEM. has 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 10.7:1. The state averages around 12.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 60% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), RICHLAND ELEM. tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 50.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 65.6%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Stoddard County) reports that median household income runs about $57,957, about 17% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Stoddard County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,712 students), of which RICHLAND ELEM. is one.

RICHLAND HIGH is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint. On composite proficiency, RICHLAND ELEM. comes 1st of 5 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 39.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Looking at the recent track record. RICHLAND ELEM.'s enrollment has ticked down 5% since 2018, when it stood at 166 (now 158). Class-load math has fell: from 24.6:1 in 2018 to 10.7:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.