For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public middle schools serving 819 students in Cooper County, MO.
The top ranked public middle schools in Cooper County, MO are Pilot Grove High School, Prairie Home High School and Blackwater Elementary School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking.
Cooper County, MO public middle schools have an average math proficiency score of 32% (versus the Missouri public middle school average of 38%), and reading proficiency score of 29% (versus the 40% statewide average). Middle schools in Cooper County have an average ranking of 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of Missouri public middle schools.
Minority enrollment is 14% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the Missouri public middle school average of 31% (majority Black).
Best Public Middle Schools in Cooper County (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Pilot Grove High School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
107 School St
Pilot Grove, MO 65276
(660) 834-4415
Pilot Grove, MO 65276
(660) 834-4415
Grades: 7-12
| 129 students
Rank: #22.
Prairie Home High School
(Math: 40-49% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
301 Hwy Drive
Prairie Home, MO 65068
(660) 841-5296
Prairie Home, MO 65068
(660) 841-5296
Grades: 6-12
| 85 students
Rank: #33.
Blackwater Elementary School
(Math: 30-39% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
300 Doddridge Ave.
Blackwater, MO 65322
(660) 846-2461
Blackwater, MO 65322
(660) 846-2461
Grades: PK-8
| 84 students
Rank: #44.
Laura Speed Elliott Middle School
(Math: 32% | Reading: 23%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
700 Main St
Boonville, MO 65233
(660) 882-6649
Boonville, MO 65233
(660) 882-6649
Grades: 6-8
| 322 students
Rank: #55.
Otterville High School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 30-34%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
101 W Georgetown St
Otterville, MO 65348
(660) 366-4621
Otterville, MO 65348
(660) 366-4621
Grades: 6-12
| 104 students
Rank: #66.
Bunceton High School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
500 E. Main
Bunceton, MO 65237
(660) 427-5415
Bunceton, MO 65237
(660) 427-5415
Grades: 7-12
| 33 students
Rank: n/an/a
Boonville Correctional Center
Alternative School
1216 E Morgan St
Boonville, MO 65233
(660) 882-6521
Boonville, MO 65233
(660) 882-6521
Grades: 7-12
| n/a students
Rank: n/an/a
Boonville Treatment Center
Alternative School
1216 E Morgan St
Boonville, MO 65233
(660) 882-6521
Boonville, MO 65233
(660) 882-6521
Grades: 7-12
| n/a students
Cooper County Public Schools (Closed)
School
Location
Grades
Students
107 School St
Pilot Grove, MO 65276
(660) 834-4415
Pilot Grove, MO 65276
(660) 834-4415
Grades: 6-8
| 59 students
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top ranked public middle schools in Cooper County, MO?
The top ranked public middle schools in Cooper County, MO include Pilot Grove High School, Prairie Home High School and Blackwater Elementary School.
How many public middle schools are located in Cooper County?
9 public middle schools are located in Cooper County.
What is the racial composition of students in Cooper County?
Cooper County public middle schools minority enrollment is 14% of the student body (majority Black), which is less than the Missouri public middle schools average of 31% (majority Black).
Which public middle schools in Cooper County are often viewed compared to one another?
Popular comparisons of public middle schools in Cooper County include: Otterville High School vs. Bunceton High School, Bunceton High School vs. Otterville High School
Recent Articles

Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.

Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.

Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.