Editing Advance, Missouri (section)

== Education ==
The Advance R-4 School District runs throughout most of the northern parts of Stoddard County as well as the extreme southern portions of [[Bollinger County, Missouri|Bollinger County]]. There is a preschool, one elementary school for grades K-6 and a consolidated junior-senior high school for grades 7–12 with an average yearly enrollment of 500 students in the district. The school colors are orange and black and its mascot is the hornet. Athletics at the school consist of boys' and girls' [[basketball]], girls' [[volleyball]], [[baseball]], [[softball]] (spring season), [[cheerleading]], boys' [[golf]], and coed [[Cross country running|cross country]].

The Advance High School Lady Hornets varsity volleyball team won the Class 1 state championship during the 2018–2019 season, the school's first-ever state title in girls’ volleyball. The Lady Hornets defeated Calvary Lutheran 25–12, 25–22 to clinch the championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.semoball.com/story/2564125.html|title = Advance volleyball wins first-ever state championship with sweep of Calvary Lutheran|date = 3 November 2018}}</ref> The Lady Hornets went on to defend their Class 1 state title for two more consecutive seasons, defeating Santa Fe 25–11, 25–12 in 2019-2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.semoball.com/story/2647587.html|title= TWICE AS NICE: Advance wins second straight Class 1 state volleyball championship|date = 9 November 2019}}</ref> and topping local nemesis [[Lesterville, Missouri|Lesterville]] 25–13, 25–15, 18–25, 25–08 in 2020–2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.semoball.com/story/2846522.html|title= Advance shows chink in armor in title match but keeps state-title run alive with third-straight championship|date = 7 November 2020}}</ref> The Lady Hornets were denied a bid at the state tournament for a fourpeat during the 2021–2022 season in which the Lady Hornets fell to [[Gideon, Missouri|Gideon]] in the Class 1 state quarterfinals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictWinners.aspx?alg=57&class=1&year=2021&id=4|title= Girls Volleyball - Gideon defeated Advance - Class 1 State Quarterfinal 1|date = 30 October 2021}}</ref> Advance rebounded and went on to reclaim their Class 1 state championship during the 2022-2023 and 2023–2024 seasons, dethroning then-Class 1 state champion [[Miller, Missouri|Miller]] in a five-set thriller<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.semoball.com/story/2971239.html|title= Advance claims state title after dramatic 3-2 win over Miller|date = 5 November 2022}}</ref> and then topping local rival South Iron 25–13, 25–13, 25-20<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.semoball.com/story/3016359.html|title = C1 VB State Final: Advance handles success flawlessly in dominating title run|date = 6 November 2023}}</ref> most recently to earn the school its fifth state volleyball championship. All five teams were coached by Erin Hoffman.

The Advance Hornets boys basketball team took second place at the Class 1 state tournament during the 2016–2017 season after a heartbreaking 65–62 loss to [[Walnut Grove, Missouri|Walnut Grove]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/DistrictWinners.aspx?alg=5&class=1&year=2016|title = 2017 Boys Basketball State Tournament - Class 1|date = 23 December 2023}}</ref>