The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Math. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on T. S. Hill Middle
T. S. Hill Middle School serves students in sixth through eighth grade in Dexter, a small city in Stoddard County. The school is part of the Dexter R-XI School District, which also operates two elementary schools and one high school. Dexter itself is a car-dependent community with a historic downtown along Stoddard Street, grain towers that recall its railroad-era growth, and a mix of residential and commercial development along US Highway 60 and Missouri Route 25. The population has been slightly declining in recent years, and the local economy is anchored by healthcare, retail, and accommodation and food services. School facilities sit on separate campuses rather than in the downtown core.
T. S. Hill Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that places the school in a middle range for economic need. The school is not a charter and does not appear to have magnet or Title I status in the available data.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school's results show a mixed picture. In math, sixth-grade students posted a proficiency rate that was the strongest of the three middle grades, while seventh and eighth graders each recorded a lower rate. In English language arts, eighth graders performed at a higher level than sixth and seventh graders. Science results for eighth graders were in a similar range to the lower math and ELA scores. When compared with other districts in Stoddard County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the county. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how the school supports students who are not yet meeting the proficiency benchmark and how it addresses the variation across grade levels.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, two-or-more-races, Asian, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided records. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
Housing in the Dexter area is notably more affordable than the national median, with home values well below the state average. The local unemployment rate has been stable and near the national figure. The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet. No information on discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance was available in the data provided.
The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as a referendum, curriculum overhaul, or property-tax shift. A parent moving to the area would be looking at a stable district without a major recent disruption or initiative to weigh.
For a family considering T. S. Hill Middle, the picture is one of a mid-sized middle school in a small, slowly shrinking town with affordable housing. The student body is economically diverse, with about half of families qualifying for meal assistance. Academic results are mixed, with some grade levels and subjects showing stronger performance than others, and the school's overall proficiency sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Stoddard County. A parent may want to ask the school about its approach to raising proficiency, particularly in the grades and subjects where results are softer, and about any targeted support for students who are not yet meeting benchmarks. The school's setting is a stable, car-dependent community with a modest downtown and no major recent district changes to factor into a decision.
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