Soaring Heights Elem., Joplin MO

Original Research by School Decision on Soaring Heights Elem.

Soaring Heights Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Joplin, a mid-sized regional hub in southwestern Missouri. The school sits within the Joplin Schools district, which recently underwent a consolidation: in early 2023, the district opened Dover Hill Elementary, replacing two older buildings that were closed and demolished. That boundary change may affect where some families in the district send their children, but Soaring Heights itself continues as a neighborhood elementary on the city’s east side.

The available state assessment results from the Missouri Assessment Program cover grades three through five in math and English language arts, and grade five in science. Across these tested subjects and grades, overall proficiency at Soaring Heights falls below the county median, placing the school in the bottom quarter of districts in Jasper County. Fourth-grade results were the softest: the share of students meeting the proficiency benchmark in both math and reading was notably lower than in the other tested grades. Third and fifth graders performed somewhat stronger, though still below the county midpoint. In science, the fifth-grade cohort was in a similar range. A parent considering this school may want to ask the principal or teaching staff about the specific instructional supports in place for the intermediate grades, particularly fourth grade, and what interventions have been tried.

The student body is diverse and economically mixed, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the source material, so a parent should follow up directly with the school about the availability and staffing of special education and English language services. No information on discipline, chronic absenteeism, or staffing was found, and the school offers no high school programs to weigh, as it serves only elementary grades.

Joplin itself is a city shaped by recovery. The devastating tornado a decade and a half ago prompted extensive rebuilding, including replacement hospitals and a redesigned high school. The city remains car-dependent, with a sprawling layout, commercial strips along major roads, and a historic downtown that has seen reinvestment. Housing development has pushed north toward Webb City. For a family, this context means that the practical experience of living in Joplin involves driving for most errands and school commutes, with a regional service economy anchored by two large hospital systems and trucking lines.

Soaring Heights Elementary fits a family seeking a standard elementary experience in a mid-sized city with a post-disaster rebuilding story. The academic profile is an area to explore in person: the district may have specific curricula or interventions in place, but the available numbers suggest that a majority of students in most grades are not yet meeting state proficiency benchmarks, and the school’s overall standing is low relative to other districts in the same county. A parent would be wise to visit, talk to the principal about academic improvement plans, and ask how the school supports students who are below grade level.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 39% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 42% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 35% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 40% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 40% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 40% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 34% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolJOPLIN SCHOOLS, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income52%23 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income29%Higher-income52%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income29%11 pp gap