Original Research by School Decision on H. Byron Masterson Elem.
H. Byron Masterson Elementary serves kindergarten through second grade in Kennett, Missouri, as part of the Kennett 39 school district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Because it covers only the earliest elementary years, the school does not participate in the state testing program; no academic proficiency data is available for this building. That absence reflects the grade band, not a judgment on instruction.
The student body numbers close to four hundred and fifty children. About half of the students are white, roughly a third are Black, and a modest share are Hispanic, with small populations of Asian students and children of two or more races. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community where household incomes are low. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not included in the available records, so a family would want to ask the school directly about those supports.
The school sits in Kennett, the county seat of Dunklin County and the largest city in Missouri's Bootheel region. This is a deeply agricultural area: Dunklin County leads the state in cotton production and also ranks among the top nationally for cotton bales, and it is Missouri's top grower of watermelons and cantaloupes. The city functions as a commercial hub for a wide radius of surrounding farming communities. The built environment mixes residential neighborhoods, a downtown core along Main Street, and civic buildings. Housing costs in the area are well below state and national medians, and the typical home value is in the low six figures, making this one of the more affordable housing markets in Missouri. Rent data was not available, but the broader economic context shows a median household income that is modest relative to national figures, with a notable share of residents below the poverty line.
No program offerings were reported for this school. There is no information about course access, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or attendance patterns in the provided data. Because the school covers only kindergarten through second grade, it does not have a graduation rate, and the comparison set of Dunklin County districts did not generate applicable academic metrics for this grade band.
Kennett has a traditional grid layout centered on Main Street, with schools and civic institutions integrated into the city rather than sitting on isolated campuses. The district operates six public schools in Kennett, including an early learning center, two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a career and technical center. Two higher education branch campuses also operate in Kennett, adding to the community’s educational infrastructure.
For a parent considering this school, the most salient fact is the grade range: a child would attend only for kindergarten through second grade and then move to a different school within the district. The student body is diverse and economically disadvantaged, and the community context is a small agricultural city with affordable housing and a regional commercial role. Families looking for academic performance data will not find it for this school, and should seek information about reading and math instruction directly from the school or district. The absence of program and staffing details means a prospective parent would want to visit and ask about classroom supports, class sizes, and early literacy approaches.
See more original research from School Decision →