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South Elementary

Q: Is South Elementary a good school?

South Elementary ranks 359 th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

359^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 60% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

South Elementary is a public elementary school in Jackson, Missouri, serving 388 students in grades K-4. It is part of the Jackson R-II school district, which is ranked 55 out of 367 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, South Elementary's performance is generally lower than the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 44.3% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in Math, compared to 54.3% for the district and 41.4% for the state. Similarly, in English Language Arts, only 39.7% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 49.9% for the district and 41.8% for the state. The school also experiences relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 10.9% to 14.1% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Jackson R-II district, South Elementary generally performs worse academically. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, East Elementary, located just 1.79 miles away, had significantly higher proficiency rates in Math (63.3% for 3rd grade) and English Language Arts (60% for 3rd grade) compared to South Elementary. Despite the relatively high spending per student at South Elementary, which has increased from $8,703 in 2018-2019 to $11,354 in 2021-2022, the school's academic performance is still lower than the district and state averages, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be contributing to the school's performance.

433

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,991

Per pupil spending ?

47.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1701 S Hope St
Jackson, MO 63755-2819

(573) 243-9575

District: Jackson R-II

Students who attend South Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Jackson Middle
	Russell Hawkins Junior High
High:	Jackson Senior High

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.1%

Hispanic:

5.5%

Two or more races:

5.5%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare South Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 64th percentile in 2015 → 60th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Missouri median (60th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Jackson R-II's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg54%

Missouri avg43%

359^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Top 40%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 36% (2015) to top 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 5Elementary Schools in the Jackson R-II

55^th of 367Jackson R-II 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	59.9	359 of 900	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.3	394 of 906	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.0	457 of 898	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.2	463 of 908	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.0	521 of 901	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.1	616 of 1052	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.7	443 of 1045	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.9	405 of 1032	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.0	353 of 865	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.2	384 of 1058	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	74.5	218 of 1089	80.0%	★★★★☆
2013	80.1	140 of 1108	87.4%	★★★★☆
2012	84.2	92 of 1085	91.5%	★★★★★
2011	79.2	159 of 1088	85.4%	★★★★☆
2010	76.7	192 of 1066	82.0%	★★★★☆
2009	74.1	206 of 1053	80.4%	★★★★☆
2008	70.7	237 of 1084	78.1%	★★★★☆
2007	72.9	201 of 1080	81.4%	★★★★☆
2006	72.3	217 of 1074	79.8%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2018	67.1	76 of 251	69.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2024	48.5	308 of 625	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.8	178 of 611	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	46.1	253 of 532	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.2	202 of 574	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.0	684 of 907	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	54.5	379 of 887	57.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	46.6	370 of 666	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.3	397 of 668	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.8	449 of 673	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.3	448 of 675	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.3	540 of 691	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.1	689 of 917	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.8	509 of 898	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2018)70th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)51st percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)44th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics49%+6 vs state

English Language Arts44%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near South Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)		MAP English Language Arts (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 English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Elementary	Public	K-4	1701 S Hope St	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9575	433	31	14.1	47.1%	364 (84.1%)	15 (3.5%)	24 (5.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.5%)	59.9	359^th of 900 public elementary schools	60.1%		55.3	394^th of 906 public elementary schools	56.5%	35	44.3	54.7	39.7	48.1	$10,991	$674	$10,316
East Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	455 N. Lacey Street	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 243-5271	726	48	15.1	30.6%	652 (89.8%)	16 (2.2%)	19 (2.6%)	19 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.8%)	88.6	85^th of 900 public elementary schools	90.6%		93.5	33^rd of 906 public elementary schools	96.4%	52	63.3	69.3	60.0	66.2	$11,847	$1,024	$10,823
Orchard Drive Elementary	Public	K-4	1402 Orchard Dr	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9555	404	29	13.9	52.0%	368 (91.1%)	10 (2.5%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	68	274^th of 900 public elementary schools	69.6%		65.4	297^th of 906 public elementary schools	67.2%	23	50.4	56.5	44.9	50.5	$10,595	$779	$9,816
West Lane Elementary	Public	K-4	338 N West Ln	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 243-9565	389	31	12.7	36.5%	355 (91.3%)	9 (2.3%)	3 (0.8%)	8 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.6%)	71.6	233^rd of 900 public elementary schools	74.1%		70.3	254^th of 906 public elementary schools	72.0%	21	57.6	49.9	56.4	47.8	$11,694	$637	$11,058
North Elementary	Public	K-4	10730 State Hwy W	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9590	249	17	14.8	40.6%	229 (92.0%)	7 (2.8%)	7 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	71.9	231^st of 900 public elementary schools	74.3%					(n/a)	58.0	51.6	48.7		$11,151	$771	$10,380
Clippard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2880 Hopper Rd	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-5720	383	38	10.1	100.0%	128 (33.4%)	130 (33.9%)	54 (14.1%)	19 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (13.6%)	34.9	619^th of 900 public elementary schools	31.2%		33.2	632^nd of 906 public elementary schools	30.2%	13	38.3	30.6	33.3	30.5	$16,061	$1,486	$14,575
Alma Schrader Elementary	Public	K-4	1360 Randol	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	No	(573) 335-5310	332	31	10.7	100.0%	225 (67.8%)	48 (14.5%)	12 (3.6%)	8 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.4%)	63.6	324^th of 900 public elementary schools	64.0%		52.5	424^th of 906 public elementary schools	53.2%	100	57.3	38.4	57.3	34.9	$13,526	$1,432	$12,093
Franklin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1550 Themis	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 335-5456	241	26	9.3	100.0%	77 (32.0%)	109 (45.2%)	18 (7.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (14.5%)	52.7	429^th of 900 public elementary schools	52.3%		48.7	465^th of 906 public elementary schools	48.7%	36	42.0	59.0	32.0	40.8	$14,121	$1,103	$13,018
Blanchard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1829 N Sprigg St	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 335-3030	326	28	11.6	100.0%	160 (49.1%)	83 (25.5%)	25 (7.7%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (15.3%)	80	159^th of 900 public elementary schools	82.3%		84.1	116^th of 906 public elementary schools	87.2%	43	51.3	58.5	62.8	58.5	$12,022	$912	$11,110
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 S Minnesota	Cape Girardeau	63703	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-2030	494	46	10.8	100.0%	136 (27.5%)	223 (45.1%)	50 (10.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	81 (16.4%)	14.9	773^rd of 900 public elementary schools	14.1%		14.9	783^rd of 906 public elementary schools	13.6%	10	17.2	16.2	22.8	26.4	$14,198	$1,184	$13,014

Frequently Asked Questions about South Elementary

What is the racial makeup of South Elementary?

Students at South Elementary are 84% White, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

What district is South Elementary in?

Jackson R-II

How many students attend South Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 433 students attended South Elementary.

Is South Elementary a good school?

South Elementary ranks 359^th of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of South Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jackson Middle
Middle : Russell Hawkins Junior High
High : Jackson Senior High

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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.