Pioneer Ridge Middle School
Public middle school in Independence, Missouri · Independence 30 School District · Grades 7–8
Pioneer Ridge Middle School serves 731 students in grades 7–8 in Independence (Jackson County). It is one of 29 schools in Independence 30 School District. By enrollment it is the 66th largest of 395 public middle schools in Missouri (median 426 students). With 14.3 students per full-time teacher, it has more students per teacher than the typical Missouri middle school (13).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 395 Missouri middle schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 51.25 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Middle |
| Grades | 7–8 |
| District | Independence 30 School District |
| County | Jackson County |
| Area type | Suburb, large |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 291548002807 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Missouri
| This school | Independence 30 | Missouri middle schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 731 | 14,272 | 426 |
| Students per teacher | 14.3 | 14.7 | 13 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 64.4% | 73.2% | 48.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 75% of Missouri middle schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
Pioneer Ridge Middle School in context
Size
Of the 4 middle schools in Independence 30 School District, Pioneer Ridge Middle School is the 3rd largest, with 5.1% of the district's students. Its 8 closest middle schools sit a median 5.2 miles away with a median enrollment of 737; Pioneer Ridge Middle School is close to their typical size.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 enrollment and school type. Share of district students = this school's students ÷ the district's students. Nearest schools by straight-line distance between NCES EDGE locations.
Grades
Its largest grade is grade 8 with 393 students, and its smallest is grade 7 with 338, against an average of 366 per grade. This year grade 8 has 16% more students than grade 7 (393 against 338). Each grade is a different group of students, so the gap is not a dropout or growth rate.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is White students: 51.2% here and 45.5% across Independence 30. Hispanic students are next, at 19.7%. Students from all 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
64.4% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 73.2% across Independence 30 and a median of 48.6% for Missouri middle schools. 20.9% are directly certified for free meals, meaning their families take part in programs such as SNAP or TANF, so no application was needed. Families apply for free or reduced-price meals, and eligibility depends on household income.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership and school lunch program data. District shares weight each school by its enrollment.
Teachers
With 51.25 full-time-equivalent teachers for 731 students, Pioneer Ridge Middle School has 14.3 students per teacher. At the median Missouri middle school ratio of 13, a school with 731 students would have about 56.2 teachers, so Pioneer Ridge Middle School has 5 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Missouri middle schools (13).
Location
Pioneer Ridge Middle School is in an urbanized area of 250,000 people or more, outside its principal city, which NCES calls suburb, large. The nearest other middle school is Bingham Middle School, 0.2 miles away in the same district. Within 10 miles there are 17 other middle schools, 3 of them within 5 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 51.2% |
| Hispanic | 19.7% |
| Black | 16.3% |
| Two or more races | 11.6% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.1% |
50.5% of students are girls and 49.5% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Grade 7 | 338 |
| Grade 8 | 393 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
1656 S Speck Rd, Independence, MO 64057
Phone: (816)521-5385
Website: isdschools.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: Pioneer Ridge Middle School. Blue: the nearest middle schools.
Nearby middle schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bingham Middle School | Independence 30 | 0.2 mi | 730 | 14.6 | 76.4% |
| Bridger Middle School | Independence 30 | 0.5 mi | 744 | 15.7 | 72.3% |
| Paul Kinder Middle School | Blue Springs R-IV | 4.2 mi | 919 | 16.1 | 38.8% |
| Clifford H. Nowlin Middle School | Independence 30 | 5.1 mi | 902 | 16.8 | 79.8% |
| Osage Trail Middle School | Fort Osage R-I | 5.3 mi | 675 | 13 | 48.4% |
| Fire Prairie Middle School | Fort Osage R-I | 5.5 mi | 713 | 14.1 | 57.6% |
| Brittany Hill Middle School | Blue Springs R-IV | 5.9 mi | 807 | 14.2 | 31.5% |
| Raytown Middle School | Raytown C-2 | 6.5 mi | 667 | 14.5 | 66% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.