South Middle School
Public middle school in Joplin, Missouri · Joplin Schools · Grades 6–8
South Middle School serves 596 students in grades 6–8 in Joplin (Newton County). It is one of 15 schools in Joplin Schools. By enrollment it is the 118th largest of 395 public middle schools in Missouri (median 426 students). With 14.2 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 ÷ 41.87 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Middle |
| Grades | 6–8 |
| District | Joplin Schools |
| County | Newton County |
| Area type | Rural, fringe |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 291635002429 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 directory and school characteristics; area type from NCES EDGE locale codes.
Compared with the district and Missouri
| This school | Joplin Schools | Missouri middle schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 596 | 7,873 | 426 |
| Students per teacher | 14.2 | 13.7 | 13 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 57.2% | 66.2% | 48.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 74% 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.
South Middle School in context
Size
South Middle School is the largest of Joplin Schools' 3 middle schools; its 596 students are 7.6% of district enrollment. The 8 nearest middle schools are a median 9.5 miles away and have a median of 637 students, so South 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 7 with 215 students, and its smallest is grade 8 with 181, against an average of 199 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 200 in grade 6 and 181 in grade 8.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
White students are the largest group, at 67.4% of enrollment, about the same share as across Joplin Schools (65.6%). Two or more races students are next, at 12.4%. Students from all 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
57.2% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, against 66.2% across Joplin Schools and a median of 48.6% for Missouri middle schools. 21.5% 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
South Middle School has 41.87 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 14.2 students per teacher. At the median Missouri middle school ratio of 13, a school with 596 students would have about 45.8 teachers, so South Middle School has 3.9 fewer.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Expected teachers = this school's students ÷ the median students per teacher of Missouri middle schools (13).
Location
NCES classifies its location as rural, fringe, which means it is in rural territory within 5 miles of an urbanized area or 2.5 miles of a town. The nearest other middle school is East Middle School, 3.9 miles away in the same district. There are 2 middle schools within 5 miles and 4 within 10 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 67.4% |
| Two or more races | 12.4% |
| Hispanic | 8.9% |
| Black | 5.5% |
| Asian | 2.2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 2% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 1.5% |
48.3% of students are girls and 51.7% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Grade 6 | 200 |
| Grade 7 | 215 |
| Grade 8 | 181 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
900 E 50th St, Joplin, MO 64802
Phone: (417)625-5250
Website: joplinschools.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: South Middle School. Blue: the nearest middle schools.
Nearby middle schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Middle School | Joplin Schools | 3.9 mi | 592 | 14.3 | 69.9% |
| North Middle School | Joplin Schools | 4.2 mi | 549 | 12.5 | 72.9% |
| Webb City Junior High School | Webb City R-VII | 8.0 mi | 709 | 15.2 | 46.3% |
| Webb City Middle School | Webb City R-VII | 8.6 mi | 681 | 15.3 | 49.8% |
| Carl Junction Intermediate School | Carl Junction R-I | 10.4 mi | 769 | 14.6 | 39.3% |
| Carl Junction Junior High School | Carl Junction R-I | 10.8 mi | 500 | 14.3 | 33.6% |
| Diamond Middle School | Diamond R-IV | 10.9 mi | 212 | 15.5 | 50.5% |
| Neosho Junior High School | Neosho School District | 13.1 mi | 753 | 15.1 | 60% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. Distance in a straight line between NCES EDGE locations.
Other schools in Joplin Schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cecil Floyd Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 532 |
| Dover Hill Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 412 |
| East Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 592 |
| Eastmorland Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 245 |
| Irving Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 434 |
| Jefferson Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 218 |
| Joplin Early Childhood Center | Pre-K | Pre-K | 311 |
| Joplin High School | High | 9–12 | 2,288 |
| Kelsey Norman Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 300 |
| McKinley Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 324 |
| North Middle School | Middle | 6–8 | 549 |
| Royal Heights Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 277 |
| Soaring Heights Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–5 | 395 |
| Stapleton Elementary School | Elementary | K–5 | 400 |