South Fork Elementary School
Public elementary school in West Plains, Missouri · West Plains R-VII School District · Grades Pre-K–6
South Fork Elementary School serves 196 students in grades Pre-K–6 in West Plains (Howell County). It is one of 4 schools in West Plains R-VII School District. By enrollment it is the 927th largest of 1,202 public elementary schools in Missouri (median 327 students). With 12.7 students per full-time teacher, it has about the same as the typical Missouri elementary school (12.3).
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Rank and medians compare all 1,202 Missouri elementary schools with enrollment listed on this site.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Students per teacher = students ÷ 15.39 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Elementary |
| Grades | Pre-K–6 |
| District | West Plains R-VII School District |
| County | Howell County |
| Area type | Rural, distant |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 293168002217 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Missouri
| This school | West Plains R-VII | Missouri elementary schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 196 | 2,626 | 327 |
| Students per teacher | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.3 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 58.7% | 61.9% | 53.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 55% of Missouri elementary schools have fewer students per teacher than this school (share of schools with a lower ratio). State test results aren't published here yet.
South Fork Elementary School in context
Size
South Fork Elementary School is the smallest of West Plains R-VII School District's 2 elementary schools; its 196 students are 7.5% of district enrollment. Its 8 closest elementary schools sit a median 11.2 miles away with a median enrollment of 227; South Fork Elementary 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 1 with 36 students, and its smallest is kindergarten with 19, against an average of 25 per grade. This year grade 6 has 26% more students than kindergarten (24 against 19). Each grade is a different group of students, so the gap is not a dropout or growth rate. It also enrolls 20 children in pre-K.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is White students: 96.4% here and 90.6% across West Plains R-VII. Students from 4 of the 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
58.7% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 61.9% across West Plains R-VII and a median of 53.6% for Missouri elementary schools. 19.9% 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 15.39 full-time-equivalent teachers for 196 students, South Fork Elementary School has 12.7 students per teacher. At the median Missouri elementary school ratio of 12.3, a school with 196 students would have about 15.9 teachers, so South Fork Elementary School has about as many as that.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Missouri elementary schools (12.3).
Location
South Fork Elementary School is in rural territory 5 to 25 miles from an urbanized area, or 2.5 to 10 miles from a town, which NCES calls rural, distant. The nearest other elementary school is Fairview Elementary School, 6.5 miles away in Fairview R-XI School District. Within 10 miles there are 2 other elementary schools, 0 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 | 96.4% |
| Hispanic | 1.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |
| Asian | 0.5% |
50% of students are girls and 50% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Pre-K | 20 |
| Kindergarten | 19 |
| Grade 1 | 36 |
| Grade 2 | 30 |
| Grade 3 | 19 |
| Grade 4 | 22 |
| Grade 5 | 26 |
| Grade 6 | 24 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
3209 Us Hwy 160, West Plains, MO 65775
Phone: (417)256-2836
Website: zizzers.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: South Fork Elementary School. Blue: the nearest elementary schools.
Nearby elementary schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Elementary School | Fairview R-XI | 6.5 mi | 466 | 15 | 50.2% |
| Glenwood Elementary School | Glenwood R-VIII | 6.8 mi | 252 | 10.4 | 53.6% |
| Howell Valley Elementary School | Howell Valley R-I | 10.2 mi | 201 | 11.3 | 52.7% |
| West Plains Elementary School | West Plains R-VII | 10.5 mi | 767 | 12.1 | 75.6% |
| Richards Elementary School | Richards R-V | 11.8 mi | 389 | 15 | 63% |
| Bakersfield Elementary School | Bakersfield R-IV | 12.5 mi | 177 | 9.9 | 59.3% |
| Junction Hill Elementary School | Junction Hill C-12 | 13.4 mi | 186 | 10.9 | 57% |
| Dora Elementary School | Dora R-III | 17.1 mi | 147 | 12.7 | 61.9% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.
Other schools in West Plains R-VII
| School | Level | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Plains Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–4 | 767 |
| West Plains Middle School | Middle | 5–8 | 555 |
| West Plains Senior High School | High | 9–12 | 1,108 |