The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 13% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on South Pemiscot Co. R-v
South Pemiscot Co. R-V is a small public school district in Pemiscot County, in the southeastern corner of Missouri, serving students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The district operates three schools: two elementary buildings, Central and East, and a single high school. Its enrollment is small, and the setting is rural. Families considering this area should know that the district sits in a part of the state where population is thin and economic activity centers on agriculture and the Mississippi River corridor. The housing market within the district’s attendance zone is modest, and home values have declined year over year, a trend that aligns with the broader regional pattern of gradual population loss.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the district’s state testing results are available for grades three through eight, and the overall picture is one of low attainment. In math, the reported proficiency rates in the tested grades are low, and in the lowest-performing grade tested, the share of students reaching the proficient or advanced level was very small. English language arts scores are similarly low, with proficiency rates in the low-to-mid range. Science results are also low. Several grade-level results are suppressed to protect student privacy, which is common when the number of students in a subgroup is small. Because the district is small, year-to-year swings in a single cohort can shift the numbers meaningfully.
When placed against the seven other districts in Pemiscot County, South Pemiscot Co. R-V’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the six districts for which that metric could be calculated. That position means a number of other districts in the county have lower test scores, but it also means the district is well below the top performer in the county. A parent looking at these results should understand that achievement levels are low in absolute terms, and the comparison to the county does not change that basic reality. The graduation rate for the district was not available in the data; a parent may want to ask the district directly about its high school completion rates.
One area that stands out is chronic absenteeism. The district’s rate places it in the bottom quartile among Pemiscot County districts, meaning a higher share of students are missing substantial amounts of school compared to most of its neighbors. This is a soft spot that families may wish to inquire about further with the school, as chronic absence can affect academic momentum for all students in a building.
Per-pupil current spending is in the lower range among the county’s districts. The district is not a charter or magnet school, and information about Title I status was not present in the data. No recent district-level changes or initiatives were found in public sources, so this is a place that has not been the subject of visible restructuring or program announcements in the recent period.
The student body is predominantly white, with a Black student population that represents a meaningful share of the enrollment, along with smaller shares of Hispanic students and students who identify as two or more races. Enrollment is relatively balanced across the elementary, middle, and high school grades, with no single grade dominating. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records provided.
Housing in the district footprint is concentrated in the small towns of Steele and Caruthersville. The weighted home value estimate for the district is modest compared to state and national benchmarks, and the year-over-year decline means recent buyers may have seen depreciation. The estimated monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home is low relative to incomes, reflecting the area’s low cost of entry. Rents were not reported for this area.
This district fits a family that values a small, rural school setting where class sizes are likely to be small and staff can know students individually. The academic results suggest that a parent who wants advanced coursework, high proficiency rates, or a wide array of program options will need to look carefully at what is offered, as the data does not indicate a strong academic profile. For a family already rooted in this part of the Missouri Bootheel, South Pemiscot is the local option, and its small scale and familiar environment may be the primary draw.
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