Press Release

February 11, 2025

Contact: Sam Stockwell
samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu
617.495.0342

Missouri Ranked 39th Among States in Math Recovery and 40th in Reading Between 2019 and 2024

Despite making up slight ground in math between 2022-2024, students in Missouri remain over 60% of a grade level behind 2019 levels. Students lost slight ground in reading between 2022-2024 and were more than two thirds of a grade level below 2019 levels on average in 2024.

Reading is more of a concern in Missouri than math, with 95% of students in districts with average reading achievement below 2019 levels, compared to 88% t in math.

(February 11, 2025) In its third year of reporting on the pace of academic recovery measures in districts nationwide, the Education Recovery Scorecard (a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University) is issuing its annual report on district-level student growth in math and reading.

The latest report also provides the first high resolution picture of where Missouri students’ academic recovery stood in Spring 2024, just before federal relief dollars expired in September. While the National Assessment of Educational Progress described changes in average achievement by state, we combine those scores with district scores on state assessments to describe the change in local communities throughout Missouri.  Here’s what we found:

  • Missouri ranked 39th among states in terms of recovery in math and 40th in reading between 2019 and 2024.
  • Despite making up slight ground in math (.05 grade equivalents) between 2022-2024, students in Missouri remain over 60% of a grade level behind 2019 levels (.61 grade level equivalents). Students lost slight ground in reading between 2022-2024 and were more than two thirds of a grade level below 2019 levels on average in 2024 (.68 grade level equivalents). In other words, the loss in math achievement in Missouri is greater than 60 percent of the progress students typically make annually between grades 4 through grade 8.
  • The average student in some districts, such as Francis Howell R-III, Parkway C-2, Lee’s Summit R-VII, Columbia 93, Hazelwood, Ferguson-Florissant R-II, and St. Louis City, remains at least a grade equivalent below their 2019 mean achievement in math; the same is true for reading in Lee’s Summit R-VII, Liberty 53, Hazelwood, Independence 30, and Ferguson-Florissant R-II.
  • Reading is more of a concern in Missouri than math, with 95 percent of students in districts with average reading achievement below 2019 levels, compared to 88 percent in math. This is true in many other states, with 89 percent of students in districts nationally below 2019 levels in reading, and only 11 percent surpassing 2019 levels.
  • Still, there are bright spots: mean achievement for students in Fox C-6 has recovered to 2019 levels in math.
  • A sharp rise in chronic absenteeism (students missing more than 10 percent of a school year)— from 13 percent of students in 2019 before the pandemic to 24 percent in 2023—is slowing the recovery in many districts in Missouri.
  • Missouri received over $3 billion in federal pandemic relief for K-12 schools—or roughly $3,300 per student, which is slightly less than the national average of $3,700 per student. Nationally, our analysis suggests that the dollars did contribute to the academic recovery, especially when targeted at academic catch-up efforts such as summer learning and tutoring.

One of the project leaders, Professor Tom Kane from Harvard, said: “Unless state and local leaders step up now, the achievement losses will be the longest lasting– and most inequitable– legacy of the pandemic.”

The federal pandemic relief dollars may be gone, but the pandemic’s impact lingers in many Missouri schools.  Even without federal relief dollars, states could be targeting continuing federal Title I dollars and state dollars to implement interventions which have been shown effective, such as tutoring and summer learning.  State leaders, mayors, employers and other community leaders should join schools to redouble efforts on the shared challenge of reducing student absenteeism.

For the national press release and findings click here

About the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University

The Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, seeks to transform education through quality research and evidence. CEPR and its partners believe all students will learn and thrive when education leaders make decisions using facts and findings, rather than untested assumptions. Learn more at cepr.harvard.edu.

Contact: Sam Stockwell, samuel_stockwell@gse.harvard.edu, (617) 495-0342

District Fact Sheets

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Maries County R Ii - 2900001
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South Harrison County R Ii - 2900002
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Portageville - 2900003
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New Madrid County R I - 2900004
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Columbia 93 - 2901000
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Adrian R Iii - 2902850
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Affton 101 - 2902910
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Alton R Iv - 2903060
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Arcadia Valley R Ii - 2903150
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Archie R V - 2903200
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Ash Grove R Iv - 2903270
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Aurora R Viii - 2904020
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Ava R I - 2904050
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Bayless - 2904500
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Belton 124 - 2904620
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Scott County R Iv - 2904890
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Bismarck R V - 2905130
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Bloomfield R Xiv - 2905250
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Blue Springs R Iv - 2905310
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Bolivar R I - 2905370
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North St Francois County R I - 2905430
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Boonville R I - 2905580
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Bowling Green R I - 2905660
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Branson R Iv - 2905760
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Brentwood - 2905880
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Brookfield R Iii - 2905940
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Dallas County R I - 2906120
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Butler R V - 2906360
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Cabool R Iv - 2906430
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Moniteau County R I - 2906510
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Camdenton R Iii - 2906990
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Cameron R I - 2907020
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Campbell R Ii - 2907050
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Cape Girardeau 63 - 2907120
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Carl Junction R I - 2907350
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Carrollton R Vii - 2907380
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Carthage R Ix - 2907460
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Caruthersville 18 - 2907470
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Cassville R Iv - 2908170
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Center 58 - 2908250
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Ft Zumwalt R Ii - 2908370
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Centralia R Vi - 2908400
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Chaffee R Ii - 2908460
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Charleston R I - 2908670
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Chillicothe R Ii - 2908760
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Clayton - 2909720
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Clearwater R I - 2909750
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Clever R V - 2909780
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Clinton - 2909860
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Cole Camp R I - 2909900
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Blair Oaks R Ii - 2909930
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Laclede County R I - 2910110
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Crane R Iii - 2910290
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Sherwood Cass R Viii - 2910320
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Crocker R Ii - 2910350
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Crawford County R Ii - 2910410
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Desoto 73 - 2910500
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Dexter R Xi - 2910770
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Diamond R Iv - 2910800
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Dixon R I - 2910830
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Doniphan R I - 2910920
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East Carter County R Ii - 2911100
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East Prairie R Ii - 2911220
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East Buchanan County C 1 - 2911250
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Knox County R I - 2911280
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El Dorado Springs R Ii - 2911310
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Eldon R I - 2911340
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Elsberry R Ii - 2911400
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Excelsior Springs 40 - 2911650
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Fair Grove R X - 2911700
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Fairview R Xi - 2911850
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Farmington R Vii - 2911910
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Mid Buchanan County R V - 2911940
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Fayette R Iii - 2911990
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Ferguson Florissant R Ii - 2912010
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Festus R Vi - 2912030
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Fordland R Iii - 2912180
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Forsyth R Iii - 2912240
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Fort Osage R I - 2912290
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Fox C 6 - 2912300
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Fredericktown R I - 2912540
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Fulton 58 - 2912550
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Gainesville R V - 2912600
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Galena R Ii - 2912630
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Grain Valley R V - 2913080
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Grandview C 4 - 2913140
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Greenville R Ii - 2913380
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Hallsville R Iv - 2913560
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Hamilton R Ii - 2913590
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Hancock Place - 2913620
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Hannibal 60 - 2913650
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Harrisburg R Viii - 2913710
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Harrisonville R Ix - 2913760
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Hartville R Ii - 2913770
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Hayti R Ii - 2913800
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Hazelwood - 2913830
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Dunklin R V - 2914250
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Gasconade County R I - 2914280
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Hickory County R I - 2914320
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Hickman Mills C 1 - 2914340
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Lafayette County C 1 - 2914400
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Hillsboro R Iii - 2914430
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Holden R Iii - 2914490
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Hollister R V - 2914550
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Houston R I - 2914840
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Humansville R Iv - 2915300
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Iberia R V - 2915420
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Scott City R I - 2915450
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Independence 30 - 2915480
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Jackson R Ii - 2915600
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Jefferson City - 2916190
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Jefferson County R Vii - 2916230
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Jennings - 2916290
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Joplin Schools - 2916350
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Clark County R I - 2916380
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Kansas City 33 - 2916400
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Kearney R I - 2916450
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Kennett 39 - 2916500
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Kirksville R Iii - 2916740
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Kirkwood R Vii - 2916770
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Knob Noster R Viii - 2916830
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Laclede County C 5 - 2917000
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Ladue - 2917820
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Lamar R I - 2917850
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Laquey R V - 2917880
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Lathrop R Ii - 2917970
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Lawson R Xiv - 2918220
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West St Francois County R Iv - 2918240
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Lebanon R Iii - 2918270
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Lee S Summit R Vii - 2918300
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Lewis County C 1 - 2918460
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Lexington R V - 2918480
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Liberty 53 - 2918540
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Licking R Viii - 2918600
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Lincoln R Ii - 2918670
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Lindbergh Schools - 2918690
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Logan Rogersville R Viii - 2919170
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Lone Jack C 6 - 2919230
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Louisiana R Ii - 2919260
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Woodland R Iv - 2919350
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Macon County R I - 2919410
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Malden R I - 2919890
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Mansfield R Iv - 2919980
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Maplewood Richmond Heights - 2920010
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Marion C Early R V - 2920160
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Marionville R Ix - 2920310
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Marshall - 2920410
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Marshfield R I - 2920430
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Maryville R Ii - 2920490
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Mcdonald County R I - 2920610
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Mehlville R Ix - 2920670
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Scotland County R I - 2920700
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Mexico 59 - 2920810
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Milan C 2 - 2920940
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Miller R Ii - 2921000
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Moberly - 2921100
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Monett R I - 2921120
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Monroe City R I - 2921210
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Montgomery County R Ii - 2921330
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Mountain Grove R Iii - 2921510
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Mountain View Birch Tree R Iii - 2921540
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Mt Vernon R V - 2921600
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Naylor R Ii - 2921720
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Neelyville R Iv - 2921750
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Neosho School District - 2921810
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Nevada R V - 2921840
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New Bloomfield R Iii - 2921875
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Newburg R Ii - 2922140
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Nixa Public Schools - 2922530
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Normandy Schools Collaborative - 2922650
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North Callaway County R I - 2922740
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North Kansas City 74 - 2922800
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North Platte County R I - 2922830
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Northwest R I - 2922890
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Oak Grove R Vi - 2923010
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Odessa R Vii - 2923100
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Orchard Farm R V - 2923160
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Gasconade County R Ii - 2923340
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Ozark R Vi - 2923430
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Meramec Valley R Iii - 2923460
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Palmyra R I - 2923490
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Park Hill - 2923550
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Parkway C 2 - 2923580
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Pattonville R Iii - 2923700
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Raymore Peculiar R Ii - 2923730
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Perry County 32 - 2924530
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Pierce City R Vi - 2925110
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Plato R V - 2925210
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Platte County R Iii - 2925230
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Clinton County R Iii - 2925290
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Pleasant Hill R Iii - 2925330
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Pleasant Hope R Vi - 2925350
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Poplar Bluff R I - 2925450
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Potosi R Iii - 2925500
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Purdy R Ii - 2925620
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Putnam County R I - 2925640
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Puxico R Viii - 2925650
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Ralls County R Ii - 2925710
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Raytown C 2 - 2926070
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Reeds Spring R Iv - 2926160
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Republic R Iii - 2926220
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Richmond R Xvi - 2926480
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Ritenour - 2926640
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Riverview Gardens - 2926670
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Rockwood R Vi - 2926850
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Rolla 31 - 2926890
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Cole County R I - 2926970
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St Joseph - 2927060
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Salem R 80 - 2927090
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Sarcoxie R Ii - 2927540
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Savannah R Iii - 2927570
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School Of The Osage - 2927630
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Sedalia 200 - 2927830
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Senath Hornersville C 8 - 2927870
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Seneca R Vii - 2927900
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Seymour R Ii - 2927930
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Shelby County R Iv - 2928110
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Sikeston R 6 - 2928260
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Smithville R Ii - 2928410
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South Callaway County R Ii - 2928430
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South Pemiscot County R V - 2928530
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Southern Boone County R I - 2928560
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Southwest R V - 2928710
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Sparta R Iii - 2928740
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Spokane R Vii - 2928800
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Springfield R Xii - 2928860
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St Charles R Vi - 2928920
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Francis Howell R Iii - 2928950
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St Clair R Xiii - 2929100
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Central R Iii - 2929170
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St James R I - 2929250
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St Louis City - 2929280
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Ste Genevieve County R Ii - 2929370
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Steelville R Iii - 2929430
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Stockton R I - 2929520
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Stoutland R Ii - 2929580
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Morgan County R I - 2929610
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Strafford R Vi - 2929640
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Sturgeon R V - 2929700
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Sullivan - 2929760
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Summersville R Ii - 2929810
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Thayer R Ii - 2930270
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Tipton R Vi - 2930330
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Trenton R Ix - 2930360
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East Newton County R Vi - 2930420
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Troy R Iii - 2930450
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Twin Rivers R X - 2930520
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Union R Xi - 2930570
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University City - 2930660
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Valley Park - 2930690
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Morgan County R Ii - 2930840
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Warrensburg R Vi - 2931020
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Warren County R Iii - 2931050
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Warsaw R Ix - 2931070
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Washington - 2931110
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Kingston K 14 - 2931140
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Waynesville R Vi - 2931440
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Webb City R Vii - 2931500
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Webster Groves - 2931530
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Wentzville R Iv - 2931650
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West Plains R Vii - 2931680
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West Platte County R Ii - 2931710
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Westran R I - 2931860
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Wheaton R Iii - 2931950
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Willard R Ii - 2932010
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Willow Springs R Iv - 2932070
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Windsor C 1 - 2932100
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Henry County R I - 2932110
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Winfield R Iv - 2932190
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Wright City R Ii Of Warren County - 2932310
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