Eugene Field Elementary named Missouri Gold Star School

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo., (KBSI) — Eugene Field Elementary has been designated a 2025 Missouri Gold Star School, recognizing its high performance while serving a significant proportion of disadvantaged students.

The school is one of eight in the state to receive the prestigious designation, which is based on Missouri Assessment Program scores over two consecutive years.

Eugene Field students showed significant improvement on the 2024 MAP test, with 71.76% scoring proficient or advanced, surpassing state averages.

Principal Kristen Spain attributed the school’s success to intentional, reflective work over 10-15 years, including collaborative efforts, co-teaching models and positive behavior support programs.