Central R-III
Central R-III is a public school district based in Park Hills, Missouri, serving 2,041 students in 4 schools. By enrollment it ranks #102 of the 166 Missouri districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 39% of them. Its schools average 510 students each, more than the Missouri median of 443. Its superintendent is Dr. Zech Payne. It spends about $9,848 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 13.8 students per teacher.
How Central R-III compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Central R-III | Missouri median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $9,848 | $10,251 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $5,589 | $5,958 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $25.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $24.1 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 148 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 330 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 13.8 | 13.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 510 | 312 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Missouri median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Dr. Zech Payne
Source: Missouri DESE, School Directory, checked 2026-10-05. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Missouri
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair R-XIIISt Clair | 2,062 | 5 | $10,855 | 12.9 | #101 |
| Central R-IIIPark Hills · this district | 2,041 | 4 | $9,848 | 13.8 | #102 |
| Odessa R-VIIOdessa | 2,039 | 4 | $9,658 | 13.2 | #103 |
| Eldon R-IEldon | 2,038 | 5 | $9,784 | 14.1 | #104 |
| Dexter R-XIDexter | 2,008 | 5 | $9,144 | 13.0 | #105 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons School District 103Lyons, IL | 2,042 | $16,047 | 9.9 |
| Whiteville City SchoolsWhiteville, NC | 2,042 | $11,967 | 17.2 |
| Salida Union ElementarySalida, CA | 2,041 | $14,613 | 20.6 |
| Southwest Dubois Co School CorporationHuntingburg, IN | 2,041 | $9,804 | 17.3 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-mo-central-r-iii