West Plains Middle School
Public middle school in West Plains, Missouri · West Plains R-VII School District · Grades 5–8
West Plains Middle School serves 555 students in grades 5–8 in West Plains (Howell County). It is one of 4 schools in West Plains R-VII School District. By enrollment it is the 142nd largest of 395 public middle schools in Missouri (median 426 students). With 13.1 students per full-time teacher, it has about the same as 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 ÷ 42.32 full-time-equivalent teachers.
School facts
| School type | Regular School |
| Level | Middle |
| Grades | 5–8 |
| District | West Plains R-VII School District |
| County | Howell County |
| Area type | Town, remote |
| School meals | National School Lunch Program, free or reduced price for eligible students |
| NCES school ID | 293168002213 |
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 middle schools (median) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 555 | 2,626 | 426 |
| Students per teacher | 13.1 | 12.7 | 13 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 67.4% | 61.9% | 48.6% |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25. District figures add up its schools. 51% 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.
West Plains Middle School in context
Size
West Plains Middle School is the only middle school in West Plains R-VII School District. Its 555 students are 21.1% of the district's 2,626. Its 8 closest middle schools sit a median 38.9 miles away with a median enrollment of 235; West Plains Middle School is larger than most of them.
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 163 students, and its smallest is grade 6 with 120, against an average of 139 per grade. Its first and last grades are close in size: 135 in grade 5 and 137 in grade 8.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership by grade.
Students
The largest group is White students: 89.4% here and 90.6% across West Plains R-VII. Students from all 7 race and ethnicity groups NCES reports are enrolled.
67.4% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, against 61.9% across West Plains R-VII and a median of 48.6% for Missouri middle schools. 30.5% 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
With 42.32 full-time-equivalent teachers for 555 students, West Plains Middle School has 13.1 students per teacher. At the median Missouri middle school ratio of 13, a school with 555 students would have about 42.7 teachers, so West Plains Middle 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 middle schools (13).
Location
West Plains Middle School is in a town more than 35 miles from an urbanized area, which NCES calls town, remote. The nearest other middle school is Willow Springs Middle School, 19.4 miles away in Willow Springs R-IV School District. No other middle school is within 10 miles.
Source: NCES EDGE school locations and locale codes, 2024-25. Distances are straight lines.
Students by race and ethnicity
| White | 89.4% |
| Hispanic | 5.4% |
| Two or more races | 2.7% |
| Asian | 1.1% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.9% |
| Black | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.2% |
47.2% of students are girls and 52.8% are boys.
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Students by grade
| Grade 5 | 135 |
| Grade 6 | 120 |
| Grade 7 | 163 |
| Grade 8 | 137 |
Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 membership.
Location and contact
730 E Olden, West Plains, MO 65775
Phone: (417)256-6150
Website: zizzers.org
Locations: NCES EDGE. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Red: West Plains Middle School. Blue: the nearest middle schools.
Nearby middle schools
| School | District | Distance | Students | Per teacher | Free/reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Springs Middle School | Willow Springs R-IV | 19.4 mi | 355 | 10.4 | 66.8% |
| Liberty Middle School | Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III | 20.9 mi | 264 | 12.2 | 69.3% |
| Cabool Middle School | Cabool R-IV | 31.0 mi | 206 | 9.7 | 100% |
| Mountain Grove Middle School | Mountain Grove R-III | 36.4 mi | 424 | 12.8 | 57.1% |
| Houston Middle School | Houston R-I | 41.5 mi | 198 | 11.9 | – |
| Ava Middle School | Ava R-I | 47.7 mi | 386 | 13.8 | 51.6% |
| Mansfield Junior High School | Mansfield R-IV | 48.6 mi | 135 | 13 | 56.3% |
| Hartville Middle School | Hartville R-II | 51.7 mi | 139 | 11.7 | 59.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fork Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–6 | 196 |
| West Plains Elementary School | Elementary | Pre-K–4 | 767 |
| West Plains Senior High School | High | 9–12 | 1,108 |