The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Math. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lebanon Middle School
Lebanon Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight within the Lebanon R-III district, located in the city of Lebanon, the county seat of Laclede County. It operates as a typical single-campus middle school, drawing students from the surrounding area and the broader district.
Lebanon itself is a manufacturing and commercial hub situated along Interstate 44 and the historic Route 66 corridor. The city is known for its concentration of aluminum fishing boat manufacturers, including several major brands, and has a sizable retail and healthcare sector anchored by a hospital and a range of employers. The community has seen modest population growth in recent years, and housing values and rents are below the national median, reflecting an affordable market relative to broader state trends. The city is largely auto-dependent, with most residents commuting by car, and the school campus is set apart from the downtown civic core, consistent with a typical small-town layout.
The school’s enrollment is nearly nine hundred students across three grade levels, making it a mid-sized middle school by state standards. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students identifying as two or more races, Hispanic, Black, Asian, or Native American. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a significant portion of families with lower household incomes.
On state assessments administered through Missouri’s MAP program, the school shows a pattern where proficiency rates in math and English language arts vary by grade but generally hover below the halfway mark. In sixth and seventh grade math, fewer than half of students scored at the proficient or advanced level; eighth grade math proficiency was lower still. In English language arts, the highest rate was in eighth grade, though still below half of students tested. Science, tested only in eighth grade, showed a similar portion of students meeting the standard. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s combined proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the four districts in Laclede County, meaning it performs at a comparatively higher level within its immediate region, though the absolute rates themselves indicate room for growth.
The district that operates the school, Lebanon R-III, recently undertook a voter-approved operating levy increase phased in over several years, with the stated purposes of funding competitive staff salaries, renewing an aging bus fleet, and establishing a sustainable cycle for critical facility repairs such as roofs, HVAC, and parking lots. This indicates a community willingness to invest in the district’s operational base, which may directly affect the middle school’s resource levels and physical plant over time.
No data was available on program offerings such as honors courses, electives, or career-oriented pathways at the middle school level, nor on staffing ratios, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism. For a middle school, these are gaps a parent may want to explore further directly with the school or district to understand what is available in the classroom and how the school environment is managed.
For a family considering this school, the picture is of a mid-sized, majority-white middle school in a small manufacturing city where home prices are relatively affordable. Academically, it performs better than most other district middle schools in the county, yet proficiency rates suggest many students have not reached the state-defined proficient level, especially in eighth grade math and science. The recent district levy points to efforts to stabilize operations and facilities. This school may suit families who value a traditional public school setting in a community with a clear industrial and commercial identity, and who are comfortable with the trade-offs typical of the region’s income levels and academic outcomes. Those seeking high rates of advanced achievement or a wide array of specialized programs would need to look into what is currently offered at this grade level.
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