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Thomas W. Kelly High

Q: Is Thomas W. Kelly High a good school?

Thomas W. Kelly High ranks 243 rd of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

243^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 367 Missouri High Schools

Better than 34% of Missouri high schools

Summary

Thomas W. Kelly High is a public high school located in Benton, Missouri, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 315 students. The school is part of the Scott County R-IV school district, which is ranked 275 out of 367 districts in Missouri and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thomas W. Kelly High has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages in standardized test scores, particularly in Algebra I and Algebra II. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 14.5% of students were proficient or better in Algebra I, compared to 22.5% for the district and 45.4% for the state. The school's performance in Biology I has been slightly better, with 40% of students proficient or better in 2024-2025, matching the district average but still below the state average of 37.3%. However, the school's performance in Algebra II has been consistently low, with only 4.9% of students proficient or better in 2024-2025, the same as the district but significantly below the state average of 58%.

Despite the academic challenges, Thomas W. Kelly High has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 96.3% to 100% in recent years, which is comparable to or better than the nearby schools like Chaffee Junior-Senior High and Sikeston Senior High School. The school's dropout rate has also been low, ranging from 1.8% to 2.3% in recent years. However, the school has experienced relatively high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 18.6% to 25.2% in recent years, which is higher than the nearby schools.

297

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,514

Per pupil spending ?

47.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4035 State Hwy 77
Benton, MO 63736-9162

(573) 545-3541

District: Scott County R-IV

Feeder schools for Thomas W. Kelly High:

Elementary:	Scott County Elementary
Middle:	Scott County Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.3%

African American:

2.4%

Hispanic:

2.4%

See top rated Missouri high schools

Compare Thomas W. Kelly High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 51st percentile in 2015 → 34th in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate within 4 years

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (23% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school23%

District avg27%

Missouri avg43%

243^rd of 367

Missouri public high schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From top 49% (2015) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

275^th of 367Scott County R-IV among Missouri districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	33.2	243 of 367	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.3	287 of 378	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.3	207 of 352	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.9	133 of 361	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.2	137 of 358	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.7	299 of 460	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.5	213 of 468	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	42.7	251 of 404	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	59.4	130 of 401	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.2	247 of 504	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	30.2	423 of 521	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	44.4	305 of 523	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.3	331 of 522	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.3	350 of 528	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	33.5	400 of 516	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	35.3	366 of 507	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	57.7	220 of 539	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	42.5	355 of 538	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2006	63.0	155 of 534	71.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	12.3	96 of 103	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	54.4	109 of 279	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	19.6	238 of 274	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.4	105 of 268	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.3	205 of 368	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	75.9	29 of 382	92.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	26.9	232 of 306	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.1	265 of 321	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.8	201 of 302	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.0	124 of 310	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.1	141 of 309	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	32.5	300 of 430	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.0	238 of 440	45.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)61st percentile+27 vs school

White (2025)24th percentile-10 vs school

Disabled (2019)7th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Biology I40%+3 vs state

Algebra I14%-31 vs state

Algebra II5%-53 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas W. Kelly High

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 English II (2025)	MAP Algebra II (2025)	MAP Government (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 7th Grade	MAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MAP Algebra I End of Course	MAP Biology I End of Course	MAP English II End of Course	MAP Algebra II End of Course	MAP Government End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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 Central High	Public	7-12	20794 Us Hwy 61	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Scott County Central	No	No	No	No	(573) 471-2001	108	12	8.8	100.0%	67 (62.0%)	21 (19.4%)	4 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (14.8%)								(n/a)											$15,743	$834	$14,909
Oran High School	Public	7-12	310 Church St	Oran	63771	Scott County	Oran R-III	No	No	No	No	(573) 262-3345	165	13	12.6	40.0%	152 (92.1%)	3 (1.8%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.8%)								(n/a)											$13,664	$739	$12,925
Charleston High	Public	7-12	606 S. Thorn St	Charleston	63834	Mississippi County	Charleston R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 683-3761	310	28	11.0	100.0%	82 (26.5%)	205 (66.1%)	8 (2.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)	7.5	343^rd of 367 public high schools	6.5%		11.8	341^st of 378 public high schools	9.8%	2	22.7		15.5	19.2	21.2		5.7			16.0	$13,151	$980	$12,171
Scott City High	Public	9-12	3000 Main St	Scott City	63780	Scott County	Scott City R-I	No	No	No	No	(573) 264-2131	268	21	12.4	48.9%	247 (92.2%)	4 (1.5%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.2%)								(n/a)						34.6					$12,744	$656	$12,088
Southeast Correctional Center	Public	7-12	300 E Pedro Simmons Dr	Charleston	63834	Mississippi County	Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(573) 683-4409	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Sikeston Career Technical Center	Public	9-12	200 Pine St	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Sikeston R-6	No	No	No	No	(573) 471-5442	0	22	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Sikeston Senior High School	Public	9-12	200 Pine St	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Sikeston R-6	No	No	No	No	(573) 472-8850	955	61	15.5	100.0%	510 (53.4%)	309 (32.4%)	55 (5.8%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	74 (7.7%)	34.8	233^rd of 367 public high schools	36.5%		35.8	234^th of 378 public high schools	38.1%	1						30.8	25.1	45.8	77.7	29.5	$14,372	$1,081	$13,292
Sikeston Hope Center	Public	6-12	230 S Front St	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Division Of Youth Service	No	No	No	No	(573) 472-6652	11	1	11.0	72.7%	8 (72.7%)	3 (27.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Chaffee Junior-Senior High	Public	7-12	517 W Yoakum Ave	Chaffee	63740	Scott County	Chaffee R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 887-3226	269	24	11.1	54.6%	259 (96.3%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	12.3	322^nd of 367 public high schools	12.3%		23.6	290^th of 378 public high schools	23.3%	32		11.5	25.7	30.8	4.7	24.4	11.9		6.3		$12,260	$658	$11,603

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas W. Kelly High

What district is Thomas W. Kelly High in?

Scott County R-IV

What is the racial makeup of Thomas W. Kelly High?

Students at Thomas W. Kelly High are 95% White, 2% African American, 2% Hispanic.

Is Thomas W. Kelly High a good school?

Thomas W. Kelly High ranks 243^rd of 367 Missouri high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Thomas W. Kelly High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 297 students attended Thomas W. Kelly High.

What schools feed into Thomas W. Kelly High?

Thomas W. Kelly High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Scott County Elementary
Middle : Scott County Middle

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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.