The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Carthage Intermediate Center
Carthage Intermediate Center is a regular public school in the Carthage R-IX district, serving only fourth and fifth graders. It is one of several buildings in a district that also operates elementary schools, a sixth grade center, a junior high, a high school, and a technical center. The intermediate center functions as a bridge between elementary and middle school, a two-year span in a larger K-12 pipeline.
The student body is about evenly split between white and Hispanic students, with small shares of other racial groups. The large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, marking the school as serving a high-poverty population. Enrollment is moderate for a school that covers only two grades. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is not reported in the available records, and no information on staffing, chronic absenteeism, or discipline is provided. A parent seeking details on special education or language support services would need to follow up directly with the school.
Carthage itself is the county seat of Jasper County, a small city built around a historic courthouse square. The economy blends manufacturing and food processing, anchored by the Fortune-ranked company Leggett & Platt, along with firms producing lighting fixtures, food products, and explosives. The town has a visible Hispanic community, and agriculture remains part of the regional identity. The downtown retains Victorian-era homes and stone buildings made from local “Carthage marble,” and the city sits on Historic U.S. Route 66. Schools are spread across separate campuses, not clustered downtown, and the district is itself a major local employer.
Academically, the school participates in Missouri’s MAP assessments. In both fourth and fifth grade math, and in English language arts for those grades, proficiency rates are below half. Science proficiency in fifth grade is lower still. Overall, the school’s combined proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint among Jasper County districts. Because the grade band ends at fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to consider, and multi-year trends are not available.
The parent district has publicly reported a recent facility investment: a renovation of Carthage High School completed in 2024 that added a secure entrance, relocated the main office, and expanded common dining space, funded without a tax increase. While that improvement is at the high school level, it signals a district willing to upgrade buildings using existing capital funds.
For a family considering Carthage Intermediate Center, the picture is straightforward. The school is a two-year public intermediate school in a working-class Midwestern city with a diversified local economy. Its student population is high-poverty and racially mixed. Academic results are lower than the county median, and the available data offers little insight into the specific programs, staffing, or support structures the school uses to address that. A parent interested in enrichment or intervention offerings would want to ask the school directly what it provides for students who are not yet meeting proficiency benchmarks and for those who are exceeding them.
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