schoolsbycounty

Cooper County Schools & Education

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

92.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

92.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,874

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,334

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 43/100

State Score Position

#23

of 115 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Cooper County

Measured School Summary

Cooper County performs at an average level with a school score of 54/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.7%.

Funding Context

At $6,874 per pupil, Cooper County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 26% above the Missouri average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Cooper County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

16 public schools and 6 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

54/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #23 of 115 Missouri counties with school score data.

Completion

92.7%

1.4 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,874

$540 above the state average

School coverage

16

6 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Cooper County has 16 public schools across 6 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Cooper County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Cooper County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#23

of 115 Missouri counties with school score data. The county score is 11 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

BOONVILLE R-I

Elementary to high school visible

1,584 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 2Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

PILOT GROVE C-4

Elementary and high visible

235 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

OTTERVILLE R-VI

Elementary and high visible

212 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

PRAIRIE HOME R-V

Elementary and high visible

142 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

BOONVILLE R-I is the largest listed district slice, with 5 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Cooper County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Cooper County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Cooper County, Missouri

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

A Distributed Network of Local Schools

Cooper County manages 16 public schools across six different districts, serving a total enrollment of 2,343 students. The landscape is characterized by a high number of high schools relative to the population, with eight high schools and seven elementary schools.

High Graduation Rates and Competitive Funding

Cooper County achieves a 92.7% graduation rate, surpassing both state and national averages. The $6,874 per-pupil expenditure is notably higher than the Missouri average of $6,334, reflecting a strong local investment in the classroom.

Boonville R-I Anchors the Community

Boonville R-I serves as the county's primary district, educating 1,584 students across five schools. Smaller districts like Otterville R-VI and Cooper Co. R-IV provide highly localized education with fewer than 220 students each.

Small Schools in a Rural Setting

The learning environment is primarily rural, with 11 of the 16 schools located in rural areas and five in town settings. Boonville High is the largest school with 569 students, though the average school size across the county is a modest 180.

School Overview

Total Schools

16

in Cooper County

Reported Enrollment

2,343

16 schools reporting

School Districts

6

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7
Middle1
High8
Other0

6 School Districts in Cooper County

BOONVILLE R-I

5 schools
1,584 students

PILOT GROVE C-4

2 schools
235 students

OTTERVILLE R-VI

2 schools
212 students

PRAIRIE HOME R-V

2 schools
142 students

COOPER CO. R-IV

2 schools
92 students

BLACKWATER R-II

1 school
78 students

16 Public Schools in Cooper County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 16 of 16 matching schools

BOONVILLE HIGH

BOONVILLE R-I

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High569 students

HANNAH COLE PRIMARY

BOONVILLE R-I

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–2Primary370 students

DAVID BARTON ELEM.

BOONVILLE R-I

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Town: Distant

Record3–5Primary329 students

LAURA SPEED ELLIOTT MIDDLE

BOONVILLE R-I

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle316 students

PILOT GROVE HIGH

PILOT GROVE C-4

PILOT GROVE, 65276 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High138 students

OTTERVILLE ELEM.

OTTERVILLE R-VI

OTTERVILLE, 65348 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary106 students

OTTERVILLE HIGH

OTTERVILLE R-VI

OTTERVILLE, 65348 / Rural: Distant

Record6–12High106 students

PILOT GROVE ELEM.

PILOT GROVE C-4

PILOT GROVE, 65276 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary97 students

BLACKWATER ELEM.

BLACKWATER R-II

BLACKWATER, 65322 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary78 students

PRAIRIE HOME ELEM.

PRAIRIE HOME R-V

PRAIRIE HOME, 65068 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–6Primary71 students

PRAIRIE HOME HIGH

PRAIRIE HOME R-V

PRAIRIE HOME, 65068 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High71 students

BUNCETON ELEM.

COOPER CO. R-IV

BUNCETON, 65237 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary51 students

BUNCETON HIGH

COOPER CO. R-IV

BUNCETON, 65237 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High41 students

BOONSLICK TECHNICAL EDUC. CTR.

BOONVILLE R-I

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12Vocational0 students

BOONVILLE CORRECTIONAL CENTER

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Town: Distant

Record7–12Alternative0 students

BOONVILLE TREATMENT CENTER

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

BOONVILLE, 65233 / Town: Distant

Record7–12Alternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,874

State avg $6,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Cooper County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Missouri counties have the highest graduation rates?
Dallas County (97.0%), Dent County (97.0%), and Howell County (97.0%) currently lead Missouri among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Missouri?
Across Missouri counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,334. The highest current county values are St. Louis County ($9,027), Chariton County ($8,427), and Holt County ($8,173). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Cooper County?
Cooper County has a school score of 54/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Cooper County?
The high school graduation rate in Cooper County is 92.7%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Cooper County spend per student?
Cooper County spends $6,874 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Cooper County, Missouri — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Cooper County, Missouri?

Cooper County manages 16 public schools across six different districts, serving a total enrollment of 2,343 students. The landscape is characterized by a high number of high schools relative to the population, with eight high schools and seven elementary schools.

How do schools in Cooper County perform academically?

Cooper County achieves a 92.7% graduation rate, surpassing both state and national averages. The $6,874 per-pupil expenditure is notably higher than the Missouri average of $6,334, reflecting a strong local investment in the classroom.

What are the major school districts in Cooper County, Missouri?

Boonville R-I serves as the county's primary district, educating 1,584 students across five schools. Smaller districts like Otterville R-VI and Cooper Co. R-IV provide highly localized education with fewer than 220 students each.

What is the school experience like in Cooper County?

The learning environment is primarily rural, with 11 of the 16 schools located in rural areas and five in town settings. Boonville High is the largest school with 569 students, though the average school size across the county is a modest 180.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.