Can I use Ray County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Ray County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Ray County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Ray County?

Start with the 12 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Ray County Schools & Education

Name: Ray County, Missouri Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Ray County, Missouri

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

School Score

27/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

89.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 91.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,619

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,334

School Score

27/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 43/100

State Score Position

#104

of 115 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Ray County

Measured School Summary

Ray County faces educational challenges with a school score of 27/100 and a graduation rate of 89.4%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,619 per pupil, Ray County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 38% below the Missouri average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.9 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 11% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Ray 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

12 public schools and 4 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

27/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #104 of 115 Missouri counties with school score data.

Completion

89.4%

1.9 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,619

$715 below the state average

School coverage

4 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Ray County has 12 public schools across 4 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Ray 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.

Review-carefully county

Ray County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#104

of 115 Missouri counties with school score data. The county score is 16 points below 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.

RICHMOND R-XVI

Elementary to high school visible

1,559 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

LAWSON R-XIV

Elementary to high school visible

1,090 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

ORRICK R-XI

Elementary and high visible

291 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

HARDIN-CENTRAL C-2

Elementary and high visible

229 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

RICHMOND R-XVI is the largest listed district slice, with 4 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 Ray County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Ray 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?

Data Story

Low composite school score characterizes Ray County education data

Education data brief for Ray County, Missouri.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Ray County’s composite school score of 26.6 is the most distinctive metric in its latest reporting, sitting significantly lower than the Missouri state average of 43.1 and the national median of 50.0. The county’s per-pupil expenditure is $5,619, which is also lower than the state average of $6,334 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. Public education in the county is provided through 12 schools, nine of which are in rural locales while three are situated in towns. The largest district is Richmond R-XVI, which oversees four schools and 1,559 students. Richmond High and Sunrise Elementary are the largest facilities by enrollment. The county graduation rate is 89.4%, which is slightly lower than the Missouri average of 91.3% but higher than the national figure of 87.0%. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Ray County

Reported Enrollment

3,376

12 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6

Middle2

High4

Other0

4 School Districts in Ray County

RICHMOND R-XVI

4 schools

1,559 students

LAWSON R-XIV

3 schools

1,090 students

ORRICK R-XI

2 schools

291 students

HARDIN-CENTRAL C-2

2 schools

229 students

12 Public Schools in Ray 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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 12 of 12 matching schools

Public schools in Ray County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
RICHMOND HIGH	Record	RICHMOND R-XVI	RICHMOND, 64085Town: Distant	9–12	High	454
SUNRISE ELEM.	Record	RICHMOND R-XVI	RICHMOND, 64085Rural: Fringe	2–5	Primary	447
SOUTHWEST ELEM.	Record	LAWSON R-XIV	LAWSON, 64062Rural: Distant	PK–4	Primary	415
RICHMOND MIDDLE	Record	RICHMOND R-XVI	RICHMOND, 64085Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	359
LAWSON HIGH	Record	LAWSON R-XIV	LAWSON, 64062Rural: Distant	9–12	High	338
LAWSON MIDDLE	Record	LAWSON R-XIV	LAWSON, 64062Rural: Distant	5–8	Middle	337
DEAR ELEM.	Record	RICHMOND R-XVI	RICHMOND, 64085Town: Distant	PK–1	Primary	299
ELKHORN ELEMENTARY	Record	EXCELSIOR SPRINGS 40	EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, 64024Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	207
ORRICK ELEM.	Record	ORRICK R-XI	ORRICK, 64077Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	170
HARDIN-CENTRAL ELEM.	Record	HARDIN-CENTRAL C-2	HARDIN, 64035Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	125
ORRICK HIGH	Record	ORRICK R-XI	ORRICK, 64077Rural: Distant	7–12	High	121
HARDIN-CENTRAL HIGH	Record	HARDIN-CENTRAL C-2	HARDIN, 64035Rural: Distant	7–12	High	104

RICHMOND HIGH

RICHMOND R-XVI

RICHMOND, 64085 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High454 students

SUNRISE ELEM.

RICHMOND R-XVI

RICHMOND, 64085 / Rural: Fringe

Record2–5Primary447 students

SOUTHWEST ELEM.

LAWSON R-XIV

LAWSON, 64062 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary415 students

RICHMOND MIDDLE

RICHMOND R-XVI

RICHMOND, 64085 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle359 students

LAWSON HIGH

LAWSON R-XIV

LAWSON, 64062 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High338 students

LAWSON MIDDLE

LAWSON R-XIV

LAWSON, 64062 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle337 students

DEAR ELEM.

RICHMOND R-XVI

RICHMOND, 64085 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–1Primary299 students

ELKHORN ELEMENTARY

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS 40

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, 64024 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary207 students

ORRICK ELEM.

ORRICK R-XI

ORRICK, 64077 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary170 students

HARDIN-CENTRAL ELEM.

HARDIN-CENTRAL C-2

HARDIN, 64035 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary125 students

ORRICK HIGH

ORRICK R-XI

ORRICK, 64077 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High121 students

HARDIN-CENTRAL HIGH

HARDIN-CENTRAL C-2

HARDIN, 64035 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High104 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,619

State avg $6,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Ray 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 Ray County?

Ray County has a school score of 27/100, which is a lower 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 Ray County?

The high school graduation rate in Ray County is 89.4%, 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 Ray County spend per student?

Ray County spends $5,619 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Webster County

Missouri

+0 pts

27/100

School score

Jasper County

Missouri

-1 pts

26/100

School score

Cass County

Missouri

+1 pts

28/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed 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.

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