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Willard South Elementary

Q: Is Willard South Elementary a good school?

Willard South Elementary ranks 671 st of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

671^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 25% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Willard South Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in the Willard R-II school district in Springfield, Missouri, with 409 students enrolled.

While the Willard R-II district is ranked 54 out of 367 districts in Missouri and has a 4-star rating, Willard South Elementary has consistently lower proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Language Arts compared to the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, only 25.7% of 3rd graders and 30.5% of 4th graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 52.8% and 53.4% for the Willard R-II district, respectively. The school's performance on state assessments has been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 367 out of 901 Missouri elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 671 out of 900 in 2024-2025.

Willard South Elementary also faces challenges with high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 14.4% to 26.3% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 51.66% to 56.28% over the past few years, indicating a relatively high-need student population. While the school has received increased funding and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, these factors alone have not been sufficient to drive substantial improvements in student outcomes. Addressing the underlying factors contributing to the school's challenges, such as attendance, instructional practices, and targeted support for struggling students, will be crucial for improving Willard South Elementary's overall performance and outcomes.

395

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,243

Per pupil spending ?

58.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4151 W Division
Springfield, MO 65802-1087

(417) 862-6308

District: Willard R-II

Students who attend Willard South Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Willard Intermediate North
	Willard Middle
High:	Willard High

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.4%

Hispanic:

10.9%

African American:

8.9%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Willard South Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 31st percentile in 2015 → 25th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (30% vs 42% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg52%

Missouri avg42%

671^st of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Bottom 25%▼ down 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 31% (2015) to bottom 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

54^th of 367Willard 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	28.9	671 of 900	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.4	585 of 906	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.5	635 of 898	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	51.7	438 of 908	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.5	367 of 901	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.9	544 of 1052	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.3	476 of 1045	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.9	590 of 1032	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	57.9	393 of 865	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	38.4	727 of 1058	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.1	651 of 1089	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	60.0	435 of 1108	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.0	418 of 1085	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.9	479 of 1088	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	44.0	672 of 1066	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.2	611 of 1053	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	49.8	573 of 1084	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	68.5	254 of 1080	76.5%	★★★★☆
2006	48.3	582 of 1074	45.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2018	33.3	186 of 251	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	78.6	8 of 120	93.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	456 of 638	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.7	284 of 625	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	275 of 611	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	85.2	46 of 574	92.0%	★★★★★
2019	59.7	304 of 907	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.7	243 of 887	72.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	16.2	593 of 666	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.7	481 of 668	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.7	563 of 673	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.2	403 of 675	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	389 of 691	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.8	654 of 917	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	43.8	508 of 898	43.4%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2019)93rd percentile+45 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)29th percentile+3 vs school

Disabled (2018)26th percentile-29 vs school

White (2025)11th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts35%-7 vs state

Mathematics28%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Willard 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 Science (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 Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Willard South Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4151 W Division	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Willard R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 862-6308	395	34	11.7	58.2%	290 (73.4%)	35 (8.9%)	43 (10.9%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (5.6%)	28.9	671^st of 900 public elementary schools	25.4%		37.4	585^th of 906 public elementary schools	35.4%	86	25.7	30.5			34.6			$11,243	$902	$10,341
Bissett Elementary	Public	K-5	3014 W Calhoun	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-2800	187	17	11.3	87.2%	109 (58.3%)	31 (16.6%)	25 (13.4%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (10.2%)	33.6	633^rd of 900 public elementary schools	29.7%		30.5	652^nd of 906 public elementary schools	28.0%	19	20.0	23.8	29.0	21.1	28.3	45.9	49.9	$15,756	$1,561	$14,196
Westport Elementary	Public	K-5	415 S Golden	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3100	351	30	11.7	80.6%	214 (61.0%)	41 (11.7%)	47 (13.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	42 (12.0%)	7.5	845^th of 900 public elementary schools	6.1%		12.8	808^th of 906 public elementary schools	10.8%	37	12.0	11.2	8.2	9.8	17.0	11.2	16.5	$14,158	$1,223	$12,935
Willard Orchard Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4595 Farm Road 140	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Willard R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 869-0600	394	34	11.5	45.7%	299 (75.9%)	32 (8.1%)	38 (9.6%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (5.1%)	64.2	318^th of 900 public elementary schools	64.7%		57.6	372^nd of 906 public elementary schools	58.9%	54	48.3	43.0			45.1	58.2		$13,182	$933	$12,249
Williams Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2205 W Kearney	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-2000	412	29	14.0	84.7%	251 (60.9%)	61 (14.8%)	60 (14.6%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	31 (7.5%)	19.8	736^th of 900 public elementary schools	18.2%		24.1	697^th of 906 public elementary schools	23.1%	39	13.8	24.5	16.5	27.9	14.0	30.5	32.1	$12,990	$1,143	$11,847
York Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2100 Nichols	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3000	225	17	13.6	88.0%	145 (64.4%)	23 (10.2%)	27 (12.0%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (12.0%)	49.8	470^th of 900 public elementary schools	47.8%		32.5	634^th of 906 public elementary schools	30.0%	164	43.5	37.4			40.9			$14,462	$820	$13,642
Willard Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2625 N Farm Rd 101	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Willard R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 831-4440	404	32	12.4	41.3%	370 (91.6%)	6 (1.5%)	10 (2.5%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	88.1	90^th of 900 public elementary schools	90.0%		83.4	121^st of 906 public elementary schools	86.6%	31	64.0	65.0			61.5			$11,181	$795	$10,387
Weaver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1461 N Douglas	Springfield	65802	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1200	264	18	14.6	89.8%	148 (56.1%)	41 (15.5%)	25 (9.5%)	5 (1.9%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (15.9%)	22.4	716^th of 900 public elementary schools	20.4%		13.2	800^th of 906 public elementary schools	11.7%	84	12.9		16.8	26.3		25.0	38.0	$12,464	$806	$11,658
Bowerman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2148 N Douglas	Springfield	65803	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-1400	275	23	11.9	88.7%	170 (61.8%)	49 (17.8%)	25 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	30 (10.9%)	19.7	738^th of 900 public elementary schools	18.0%		17.9	748^th of 906 public elementary schools	17.4%	10	23.7	21.2	16.3	27.1	23.7		29.0	$14,497	$1,788	$12,709
McGregor Elementary	Public	K-5	1221 W Madison	Springfield	65806	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-5700	286	27	10.7	86.0%	155 (54.2%)	52 (18.2%)	42 (14.7%)	6 (2.1%)	4 (1.4%)	2 (0.7%)	25 (8.7%)	13.3	788^th of 900 public elementary schools	12.4%		15.9	771^st of 906 public elementary schools	14.9%	17	7.4	30.1	9.4	13.1	7.8	36.3	17.1	$14,975	$1,280	$13,695

Frequently Asked Questions about Willard South Elementary

Is Willard South Elementary a good school?

Willard South Elementary ranks 671^st of 900 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Willard South Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 395 students attended Willard South Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Willard South Elementary?

Students at Willard South Elementary are 73% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races.

What district is Willard South Elementary in?

Willard R-II

What schools do graduates of Willard South Elementary attend?

Students who attend Willard South Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Willard Intermediate North
Middle : Willard Middle
High : Willard 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.