The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in Math. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hollister Middle
Hollister Middle is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the Hollister R-V district. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Hispanic minority and a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the community’s economic profile.
The school sits on State Highway BB, on a campus that also houses the district’s elementary, high school, and early childhood center. This campus is separate from Hollister’s historic Downing Street district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town itself is a small city adjacent to Branson and the tourism-heavy economy of southwestern Missouri. Housing values in the area are near the state benchmark, and recent trends show a slight softening in home values, though the long-term trajectory has been one of appreciation. The district passed a bond issue that funded a remodel at the early childhood center and upgrades at the high school, capital work that families in the middle school may see as part of the district’s overall facility picture.
On state assessments, math proficiency rates decline slightly as students move from sixth grade through eighth, with sixth grade the strongest of the three and eighth grade the weakest. In English language arts, the same pattern holds: sixth and seventh grade are similar, and eighth grade is lower. Eighth-grade science results are lower still. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint compared to other districts in Taney County. The county’s small size and the mix of district types within it mean the comparison set is narrow, but the position is clear: Hollister Middle’s academic results lag the median of its local peers.
No data on chronic absenteeism or graduation rate is available, and the school’s grade band does not produce a graduation rate. Information on special education and English learner populations is also missing from the data. A parent with a child who receives special education services or is learning English would want to ask the school directly about those offerings and supports.
The school’s website and the district’s history page indicate recent facility investment, but no information on course offerings, extracurricular programs, or staffing was captured. For a family considering Hollister Middle, the core picture is a school with a high-poverty student body, state test results that are below the county median, and a location along a highway corridor in a small town whose economy is tied to Branson tourism. A parent who wants strong middle-school academic outcomes should look into what academic support and enrichment the school provides.
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