The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Licking High
Licking High School serves grades seven through twelve in the small Ozarks town of Licking, Missouri. It is a regular public school within the Licking R-VIII district, and the only secondary school in the system. The enrollment is modest for the grade band, and the student body is overwhelmingly white, with only small numbers of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A very high share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch; the data reported a rate that appears to exceed the total enrollment count, which may be worth clarifying with the school.
State testing results are available for the most recent year for grades seven and eight in math, English language arts, and science. The proficiency rates are on the lower side compared to state averages. In seventh-grade math, about one in four students scored proficient or above. In eighth-grade math, that figure drops to roughly one in thirteen. In seventh-grade English, about one in four students were proficient. Eighth-grade English results were not reported due to suppression, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about that cohort’s performance. In eighth-grade science, about one in four students reached proficiency. Overall, the school’s proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it below the midpoint among districts in Texas County, according to a county-level comparison. The graduation rate was not available in the data, so that is a gap a family would need to follow up on.
The school sits on a separate campus on College Avenue, away from Licking’s Main Street core. The town itself is small and rural, with a population that roughly doubled after the South Central Correctional Center opened, though the 2020 census showed a decline from that peak. The correctional facility is the dominant employer, followed by the school district itself. An Amish community has also relocated here in recent years, adding a distinct cultural element. Housing values in the area are noticeably below both the state and national benchmarks, which may be relevant for families considering a move. Mortgages at prevailing rates make homeownership relatively affordable by national standards, though the local economy is tied heavily to the prison and public-sector jobs.
The district brief turned up no recent major changes such as tax referendums, curriculum overhauls, or boundary adjustments—at least nothing that was publicly reported and lasting. That may mean stability, or simply that events were not captured in the search. The city’s website describes a “hometown atmosphere,” and the area is known for deer and turkey hunting, with Montauk State Park and Mark Twain National Forest within a short drive. The street life is typical of a small rural town: a Main Street corridor, highway-oriented development along U.S. Route 63, and no notable pedestrian infrastructure. The public library and a volunteer fire department provide civic anchors.
For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of low proficiency rates relative to other districts in the county, though state testing only covers the middle school grades. The upper grades are untested by the state MAP assessments, so a parent may want to ask the school how it measures learning in high school or what the graduation rate looks like. No information on Advanced Placement, dual credit, career programs, or extracurriculars was available in the data. The student population is nearly all white and economically disadvantaged at high rates. The setting is rural and quiet, with a modest housing market and a local economy shaped by the prison and the school. This school fits a family that values a small-scale environment and a low cost of living, and that is comfortable engaging directly with the school to fill in the gaps not covered by public data.
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