The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gallatin Middle School
Gallatin Middle School is a regular public school serving grades five through eight in the small, rural county seat of Gallatin, Missouri. It is one of three schools in the Gallatin R-V district, which also includes an elementary school and a high school. The town itself is a traditional courthouse-square community with a multigenerational character; its civic anchors include the Daviess County Courthouse and the main branch of the Daviess County Library. Growth has been very slow, with a slight population rebound after an earlier decline, and the weekly newspaper ceased publication a few years ago.
The middle school enrolls a modest number of students for its grade band. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with very small numbers of students identifying as Asian, Hispanic, or two or more races. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a substantial share of households with lower income. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported.
State testing results from the Missouri Assessment Program are available for several grades and subjects, though some figures are suppressed, which is common in a small school where group sizes are too small for reporting. In mathematics, proficiency rates in grade five were well below half, while grade six showed a notably higher result, with close to half of students meeting the standard. Results for grades seven and eight were suppressed, so the picture for the upper middle grades is incomplete. In English language arts, grade six saw about a third of students proficient; grade seven showed a stronger result, with roughly half scoring at that level; grade eight returned to about a third. Fifth-grade ELA results were suppressed. Science is tested in grades five and eight. In grade five science, about a quarter of students were proficient; grade eight science results were suppressed.
When measured against other school districts in Daviess County, Gallatin Middle School’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint. This comparison includes only a small number of districts, so the range is narrow. Still, the school’s performance is not uniform across grades or subjects; some grades show clear strengths, particularly seventh-grade ELA and sixth-grade math, while fifth-grade math and science are softer spots. A parent may want to look into how the school supports students in the earlier middle grades.
The housing market in the Gallatin area shows home values that are close to the statewide median but below the national median, with a year-over-year increase that outpaced state and national trends. This suggests a relatively affordable market for a family moving into the area.
No data on programs such as advanced courses, electives, or extracurriculars was available. Discipline records, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism figures were also absent from the reported information. Because this is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to evaluate. The district has not publicly reported recent strategic changes or initiatives. For a family considering this school, the available evidence points to a small, rural setting with mixed academic results that vary by grade, a community that is stable but slowly growing, and housing that is moderately priced. Parents may want to visit the school directly to learn about course offerings and student support practices that are not captured in the state data.
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