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How has SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL changed in the last five years, for better or worse?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,551
High
DISTRICT 579 · STATE 501
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SEDALIA 200·NCES 292783001709
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL
2010 TIGER PRIDE BOULEVARD, SEDALIA, MO 65301 · (660) 851-5300 · Pettis County
GRADES 09–12HIGH33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,551 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 67% of Missouri public high schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- A-Three-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Missouri public high schools
Student : Teacher
16.9:1
92 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.7:1 · STATE 12.2:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
60%
925 students
DISTRICT 66% · STATE 54%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 378 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 392 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 376 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 405 | 26% |
Student demographics
51%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 52% · STATE 52% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within SEDALIA 200. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
49.8%
MO avg 44.9% . -7.3pp since 2021
Math
54.8%
MO avg 43.8% . +18.8pp since 2021
What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 50 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 55 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores are down about 7 points since 2021, while math scores are up about 19 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 3.5% | 46.3% | 33.0% | 17.1% |
| Math | 28.2% | 26.6% | 24.1% | 20.9% |
Share of tested students at each MAP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
MAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 49.8% | 54.8% |
| 2023-24 | 48.9% | 37.3% |
| 2022-23 | 58.2% | 41.8% |
| 2021-22 | 57.1% | 36.0% |
% Proficient + Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MAP. 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
38.9%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
37.5%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+1.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 39% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 38% 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 →
Schools most like SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL's state test result (38.9% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL this school | 1,551 | 59.6% | 38.9% |
| NEOSHO HIGH NEOSHO | 1,530 | 53.7% | 38.9% |
| MCDONALD COUNTY HIGH ANDERSON | 1,075 | 65.5% | 28.4% |
| BRANSON HIGH BRANSON | 1,469 | 54.8% | 40.7% |
| BELTON HIGH BELTON | 1,258 | 52.4% | 42.7% |
| JOPLIN HIGH JOPLIN | 2,288 | 58.8% | 41.0% |
Matched among Missouri high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.9% | #199 of 443 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 54.8% | #74 of 453 ▲ 126 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 49.8% | #184 of 382 ▼ 10 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.8pp | #71 of 231 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,551 | #43 of 561 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.9:1 | #301 of 343 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 51.3% | #71 of 343 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 59.6% | #118 of 455 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +7.0% | #91 of 151 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,551
+127 (+9%) vs 2020
+34% since 1990-91, when it was 1,160
Student : Teacher
16.9:1
was 16.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,551 | 91.5 | 16.9:1 | 60% (925) |
| 2023-24 | 1,535 | 88 | 17.4:1 | 62% (945) |
| 2022-23 | 1,474 | 88.5 | 16.7:1 | 59% (870) |
| 2020-21 | 1,424 | 87 | 16.4:1 | 57% (810) |
| 2017-18 | 1,449 | 88.3 | 16.4:1 | 61% (877) |
| 2015-16 | 1,465 | 85 | 17.2:1 | 62% (915) |
| 2010-11 | 957 | 61 | 15.7:1 | 46% (445) |
| 2000-01 | 1,257 | 67 | 18.8:1 | 25% (309) |
| 1990-91 | 1,160 | 67 | 17.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL.
Since 2017-18: students up 7% (1,449 to 1,551); teachers up 4% (88.3 to 91.5).
About SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL is a large high school located in SEDALIA, Missouri. Students in grades 9 through 12 attend, and enrollment is 1,551 students. The typical figure for high schools in Missouri is about 501 students.
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL is part of a district of 9 schools: SEDALIA 200, with 5,209 students.
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL's enrollment is 66% White. Other groups include 21% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, and 3% Black. By comparison, Pettis County residents are about 84% White. By the diversity index, SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL comes in at 51%.
Staffing totals 91.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 16.9:1. That ratio is over the 12.2:1 average for high schools in Missouri. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL is 60%. Across public schools in Pettis County, the average is about the same, 61%.
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL is graded B+ by allk12, scoring above 67% of Missouri public high schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 37.5% for SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL. The school posts 38.9%, 1.4 points above the prediction.
Within Pettis County, median household income is about $60,430, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of people live in poverty. The public schools of Pettis County number 20 and enroll about 6,820.
Nearest public school: SKYLINE ELEM., about 0.8 miles away. The five-mile area around SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL holds at least 8 other public schools. SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL's average proficiency of 38.9% compares with 41.8% for its nearest scored neighbors.
NCES lists the school's locale as Town: Remote. That means it sits in a town far from an urbanized area.
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL saw enrollment rise 9% between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Parents and students can post about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news at SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Pettis County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
43,397
Census ACS
Median income
$60,430
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
20
6,820 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in SEDALIA 200
- SMITH COTTON JUNIOR HIGH SCHLMiddle · 1,133 students
- SKYLINE ELEM.Elementary · 483 students
- HEBER HUNT ELEM.Elementary · 448 students
- PARKVIEW ELEM.Elementary · 447 students
- SEDALIA MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 396 students
- HORACE MANN ELEM.Elementary · 276 students
Other schools in SEDALIA
- SMITH COTTON JUNIOR HIGH SCHLMiddle · 1,133 students
- SKYLINE ELEM.Elementary · 483 students
- HEBER HUNT ELEM.Elementary · 448 students
- PARKVIEW ELEM.Elementary · 447 students
- SEDALIA MIDDLE SCHOOLMiddle · 396 students
- HORACE MANN ELEM.Elementary · 276 students
Nearby schools
- SKYLINE ELEM.0.8 mi · 483
- E W Thompson1.9 mi · 11
- HORACE MANN ELEM.2.0 mi · 276
- EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR.2.3 mi · 260
- SEDALIA MIDDLE SCHOOL2.3 mi · 396
- HEBER HUNT ELEM.2.4 mi · 448
Frequently asked questions
About SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOLHow large is SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL?
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL enrolls approximately 1,551 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL serve?
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL?
The student-to-teacher ratio at SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL is approximately 16.9:1 (92 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL?
At SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL, the student body is approximately 66% White, 21% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% Asian, 8% Two or more.
Who oversees SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL?
SMITH-COTTON HIGH SCHOOL is overseen by SEDALIA 200 in Pettis County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.