The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Math. The lowest is 50% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hickory Hills Middle
Hickory Hills Middle School is a regular public school in Springfield, Missouri, serving grades six through eight as part of the Springfield R-XII district. The school sits on the eastern fringe of the city along State Highway YY, in a part of Greene County that blends suburban and rural surroundings. For families looking at middle schools within the district, Hickory Hills represents a mid-sized learning environment with a student body that is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. Roughly half of the students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that places the school near the district’s overall economic profile but worth noting for families weighing peer composition.
Academically, the school’s performance on the Missouri Assessment Program shows a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades six, seven, and eight cluster around the halfway mark, with the highest rate in seventh grade and slightly lower in sixth. Math results follow a similar pattern: sixth and seventh graders post rates that are comparable to the ELA figures, but eighth-grade math proficiency drops notably below that level. Science, which is tested only in eighth grade, lands close to the midpoint of the scale. Taken together, the overall proficiency across subjects and grades sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Greene County. This is not a school that stands out for high test scores, but it is also not at the bottom of the county. A parent who values strong academic results may want to look into the specific grade-level data and ask the school about instructional supports, particularly in middle-school math.
The school’s academic context is shaped by two district-level changes that are worth knowing about. Springfield R-XII voters approved a bond issue structured to avoid a property-tax increase, with funds earmarked for facility improvements such as HVAC, roofing, safety upgrades, and classroom renovations. That means the physical plant at Hickory Hills is likely to see attention in the coming years, though the timing for this specific school is not spelled out in available data. More directly relevant: the district launched a middle school redesign initiative starting in the 2023-2024 school year, which restructured bell schedules, expanded exploratory and elective offerings, and adjusted teaming structures across all its middle schools. Families moving into the district should ask how that redesign has affected Hickory Hills in practice—what electives are available, how teams are organized, and whether the schedule changes have met their goals.
Springfield itself is a mid-sized regional hub and the third-largest city in Missouri. Its economy is anchored by healthcare systems, higher education institutions (Missouri State University, Drury, Evangel, and Ozarks Technical Community College), and corporate headquarters for Bass Pro Shops and O’Reilly Auto Parts. This mix gives the area a stable employment base. Housing in the school’s ZIP code is moderately priced compared with the statewide norm, and home values have seen modest recent growth. Rent follows a similar trend. The city’s population growth has been modest, and the downtown area, with Park Central Square and the historic Commercial Street corridor, provides a civic center that is integrated with nearby universities rather than separate from them.
Hickory Hills Middle School does not publish data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, or staffing ratios, so a full picture of school climate is incomplete. The comparison set for this school is Greene County districts, not other middle schools specifically, which is a point to keep in mind when weighing the proficiency ranking. The school has no gifted or specialized program data listed in the available records. For a family considering Hickory Hills, the main takeaway is a school that serves a diverse-by-income student body in a stable district undergoing intentional middle-grade changes, with academic performance that is solid in some grades and subjects but weaker in eighth-grade math—an area worth investigating further with school administration.
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