Scott County R-IV

Summary:

The Scott County R-IV school district in Missouri operates three schools: Scott County Elementary, Thomas W. Kelly High, and Scott County Middle. The district as a whole is ranked 275 out of 367 districts in Missouri and is rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance compared to other districts in the state.

Among the standout findings, Thomas W. Kelly High School has a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 96.3% and a low dropout rate of 1.8%. In contrast, all three schools in the district have high chronic absenteeism rates around 19-20%, which is concerning and well above the state average. Academically, the schools generally perform below the state averages in Math and English Language Arts proficiency across grade levels, with only 22% of 3rd graders at Scott County Elementary proficient or better in Math, compared to the state average of 41.4%.

The schools also have high percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 46% to 54%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage in the student population. Spending per student is below the state average, ranging from $8,925 to $10,490 across the three schools. However, the student-teacher ratios are relatively low, ranging from 11.8 to 13.2, which is a positive factor. Overall, the data highlights significant challenges for the Scott County R-IV school district, including low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and economic disadvantage among the student population, which will need to be addressed to improve the quality of education and outcomes for students in the area.

District Detail

4035 State Hwy 77
Benton, MO 63736-9162

(573) 545-3541

SchoolDigger Rank:
275^th of 367 Missouri districts

See the 2025 Missouri District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 902

Primary Schools: 1
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 1
Alternative Schools: 0

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)						MAP Science (2025)		MAP English Language Arts (2025)					MAP Algebra I (2025)	MAP Biology I (2025)	MAP Algebra II (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Scott County Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4035 State Hwy 77	Benton	63736	Scott County	Scott County R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 545-3541	410	32	12.7	51.7%	375 (91.5%)	3 (0.7%)	12 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.6%)	14.3	781^st of 900 public elementary schools	13.2%		18.4	745^th of 906 public elementary schools	17.8%	36	22.0	18.7	14.4				14.4		26.5	18.6	20.7						$11,478	$651	$10,827
Thomas W. Kelly High	Public	9-12	4035 State Hwy 77	Benton	63736	Scott County	Scott County R-IV	No	No	No	No	(573) 545-3541	297	25	12.0	47.5%	283 (95.3%)	7 (2.4%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33.2	243^rd of 367 public high schools	33.8%		24.3	287^th of 378 public high schools	24.1%	44														14.5	40.0	4.9	$13,514	$152	$13,362
Scott County Middle	Public	6-8	4035 State Hwy 77	Benton	63736	Scott County	Scott County R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 545-3541	195	17	11.4	53.3%	180 (92.3%)	1 (0.5%)	5 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.1%)	39.2	279^th of 438 public middle schools	36.3%		26.7	339^th of 451 public middle schools	24.8%	60				34.3	40.2	20.6		44.5				16.2	32.7				$12,618	$747	$11,871

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Kelso C-7	8.38 mi	1
Scott County Central	9.2 mi	2	264^th
Oran R-III	10.22 mi	2
Charleston R-I	11.46 mi	3
Sikeston R-6	12.07 mi	8	253^rd

See the top MO Missouri districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.