Poplar Bluff High School

What Poplar Bluff High School does

Poplar Bluff High School is the flagship secondary campus of the Poplar Bluff R-I School District, a public K-12 school district headquartered at 1110 N. Westwood Boulevard, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, founded in 1885. The district operates 11 schools spanning early childhood, kindergarten, elementary (Eugene Field, Lake Road, Oak Grove, O'Neal), middle school, junior high, high school (Mules), an alternative school (Mark Twain), and the Technical Career Center (TCC). Poplar Bluff High School delivers comprehensive college and career preparation including AP coursework, dual enrollment with Three Rivers College, JROTC, the SkillsUSA-affiliated TCC programs, and athletics — supported by standard K-12 educational technology (Google Classroom, Clever Portal, Infinite Campus, ParentSquare, Prodigy Math, EBSCO, Explora) plus differentiated offerings such as the Leader in Me Lighthouse framework, a kindergarten-center weather station, and district-wide weapons detection systems.

The district operates as a tax-funded government entity under Missouri DESE oversight, with revenue derived from local property taxes, state foundation funding, and federal grants (including FEMA Hazard Mitigation and ESEA programs). It does not charge tuition for resident students; nominal ancillary fees apply to meals, before/after-school programs, facility use, and Peachjar flyer distribution. The governing structure is an elected Board of Education with no parent company, private equity, or external ownership. Recent strategic activity includes a $6.7M tornado recovery at the Kindergarten Center completed by August 2025, a $1.5M FEMA-funded EF5 safe room at Eugene Field, a 10-year long-range facility plan with Dake Wells Architecture, and the 2026 naming of Dr. Valerie Ivy as Missouri's statewide High School Principal of the Year — the first female principal in PBHS history. Outcomes include a 93% four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate, 71.76% math proficiency at Eugene Field on the 2024 MAP test, and three National Blue Ribbon Schools within the district.

Name

Poplar Bluff High School

Legal name

Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Website

https://hs.poplarbluffschools.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Poplar Bluff High School is the flagship secondary campus of the Poplar Bluff R-I School District, a public K-12 district in Southeast Missouri operating 11 schools from preschool through adult education, funded by local taxes, Missouri state aid, and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAAAD

Public High Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

SECONDARYEDAJAAAB

Public Elementary Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

SECONDARYEDAJAAAC

Public Middle Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Public K–12 Schools & Districts

SECONDARYEDAJAEAI

Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Alternative & At-Risk K–12 Education (Continuation, Recovery, Juvenile)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Secondary education services
• College and career preparation
• Career and technical education
• JROTC and athletics programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Poplar Bluff

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Poplar Bluff High School provides public secondary education to students in the Poplar Bluff R-I School District, including college preparation (AP courses, dual enrollment with Three Rivers College), career and technical education through the Technical Career Center, JROTC, athletics, arts, counseling, and student support services. The school is part of a 11-campus district serving students from preschool through adult education, funded by local taxes, state aid, and federal grants.

Product overview

Poplar Bluff High School, part of the Poplar Bluff R-I School District, provides comprehensive educational programs and services including academic instruction, athletics (Mules), JROTC, career and college preparation, technical career education through the Technical Career Center (TCC), library and digital resources, counseling, gifted education, after-school programs, summer school, virtual learning options, and various student support services. The district encompasses multiple schools from early childhood through high school, serving students from preschool through adult education since 1885.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Poplar Bluff High School Secondary Education Comprehensive public secondary education for grades 9-12 including college preparation (AP courses, dual enrollment with Three Rivers College), academic counseling, gifted education, and student support services. Designed for resident students of the Poplar Bluff R-I School District.
• Technical Career Center (TCC) Programs Career and technical education programs including brand design, robotics, esthetics, cosmetology, automotive, culinary arts, and screen printing, with students competing in SkillsUSA conferences. Designed for high school students seeking career-focused technical skills.
• JROTC Leadership Program (Pvt. Billie G. Kanell Battalion) Army JROTC leadership and academic program. The battalion qualified for the 2026 JLAB National Championship for the first time in program history. Designed for high school students seeking leadership development and military career preparation.
• Iron Mules Robotics (FIRST Tech Challenge) Robotics competition team operating under the FIRST Tech Challenge framework, with Boeing as a corporate matching gift partner. Designed for high school students interested in STEM and robotics competition.
• Mules Athletics Program Comprehensive interscholastic athletics program including various sports, with the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame honoring 104 individuals and 12 teams across 37 annual inductions. Designed for high school students seeking competitive athletic participation.
• School Meals Program Breakfast and lunch meal services with free and reduced-price meal options for qualifying families. Designed for all enrolled students and families in the district.
• After-School Programs Structured after-school programming for students, with nominal fees. Designed for working families and students seeking supervised enrichment outside school hours.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIRST Tech ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Iron Mules PBHS Robotics Club has competed under the FIRST Tech Challenge framework for over a decade, ranking as high as second place in the Southeast League. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a robotics competition program. Boeing is a strategic partner of FIRST Tech Challenge.
• Pete's GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPete's Garden, a nonprofit based in Kansas City, provides reimbursable grants to schools for food security initiatives. The TCC culinary arts program received a second-year grant to prepare 450 meals through the Kids Feeding Kids program, combating food insecurity and eliminating food waste.
• Ozark Border Electric CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOzark Border Electric Cooperative runs an annual essay contest for high school students. PBHS junior Addison Hutson won the 2025 contest, earning an all-expense-paid trip to the 63rd annual Missouri Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. (June 14-20). Over 1,800 students from across the country participate annually.
• State Technical College of MissouriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Technical College of Missouri in Linn hosted the SkillsUSA Missouri Leadership & Skills Conference (April 9-11), where TCC student Amelia Hampton won the secondary brand design category.
• SkillsUSA MissouriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkillsUSA Missouri is a professional organization helping students develop personal, workplace, and technical skills. TCC students compete in categories including brand design, robotics, esthetics, cosmetology, automotive, culinary arts, and screen printing, with multiple students qualifying for national competition.
• Three Rivers CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree Rivers College in Poplar Bluff partners with the district on multiple programs: dual enrollment options for PBHS students to earn college credit, hosting displaced Kindergarten Center students at Tinnin Fine Arts Center after the 2025 tornado, and hosting the SEMO Spelling Bee. The college also hosts Regional Professional Development Center for Southeast Missouri.
• FCC Behavioral HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFCC Behavioral Health served as a top sponsor of the 11th annual PB Connect professional development conference, contributing alongside Acrisure to support district-wide educator training.
• AcrisureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcrisure served as a top sponsor of the 11th annual PB Connect professional development conference for district faculty and staff.
• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDESE provides the framework and recognition programs (Gold Star School, Blue Ribbon) under which Eugene Field was honored, sets Missouri Learning Standards, administers state assessments (MAP tests), and provides content specialists for district professional development.
• Poplar Bluff Public School FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed to increase educational opportunities for district children. The Foundation provides grants for special equipment, scholarships, and programs; funds teacher grants ($5,700 across five grants in one cycle); funds scholarships for PBHS graduates entering education; and financed the weather station at the Kindergarten Center.
• Kirchner FamilyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kirchner family (multiple generations attended Eugene Field Elementary) designed, built, and donated the Blessing Box — an outdoor pantry cabinet filled with shelf-stable foods and children's books — to serve the campus community. Timothy and Kaysea Kirchner installed the structure, painted in Mules colors.
• Dake Wells ArchitectureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelected in November 2024 to lead the district's next 10-year long-range facility plan in collaboration with community stakeholder committees.
• Dille and Pollard ArchitectureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChosen over Eugene Field expansion due to extensive safe room experience, including the 2016 structure at Junior High. Collaborating with the district on safe room design at Eugene Field.
• Zoellner ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for the Kindergarten Center tornado reconstruction ($6.7 million repair). Materials were ordered early to avoid supply delays; crews worked six days a week. Project completed ahead of the new school year, with substantial completion inspection on August 8.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Doniphan R-I School District: Smaller Southeast Missouri district serving a comparable rural community along the same geographic corridor as Poplar Bluff. Reflects similar enrollment dynamics and state funding dependence.
• Mountain Home Public Schools (Arkansas): Adjacent cross-border district in the Twin Lakes region with comparable rural community footprint and CTE emphasis. Operates just outside Missouri's funding framework but competes for the same regional student and teacher pool.
• Kennett School District 39: Bootheel-region public district serving a similar rural, agriculturally-tied community. Comparable on socioeconomic demographics, state assessment performance tier, and infrastructure vulnerability to severe weather.
• West Plains R-VII School District: South-central Missouri public district of comparable scale with similar rural profile, comprehensive CTE offerings, and overlapping state recognition categories. Useful comparable for budget structure and program breadth.

Direct peers

• Sikeston R-VI School District: A peer-sized rural Southeast Missouri district operating a comparable CTE footprint and competing for the same DESE recognition pathways. Both districts share similar demographic and funding profile challenges.
• Cape Girardeau Public Schools (Central High School): The largest public school district adjacent to Poplar Bluff in Southeast Missouri, serving a similar multi-school footprint with comparable recognition profile. Both districts compete for the same regional talent pool and state recognition awards.
• Dexter R-XI School District: A smaller Southeast Missouri public district with a similar K-12 structure and regional award history. Useful comparability benchmark for district size, per-pupil outcomes, and CTE program offerings.
• Jackson R-II School District: A growing Southeast Missouri public district with comparable secondary programming, athletic traditions, and open-enrollment overlap with Poplar Bluff. Most directly competitive peer for student recruitment within the SEMO region.

Others

• Three Rivers College (dual enrollment partner): Local community college partnering with Poplar Bluff on dual enrollment, displaced-student hosting post-tornado, and the Regional Professional Development Center. Functions as an enabling/adjacent institution rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Parkway School District (St. Louis County): Large Missouri public district representing the upper bound of state K-12 scale and program breadth. Useful as an incumbent benchmark for governance, technology integration (Infinite Campus, ParentSquare), and statewide award positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/poplar-bluff-high-school-28

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Poplar Bluff High School