McRae Elementary School

Q: Is McRae Elementary School a good school?

McRae Elementary School ranks 194 th of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

McRae Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 422 students in grades PK-3 in Searcy, Arkansas, which is part of the Searcy School District.

McRae Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in academic proficiency, with 50% of students proficient or better in Mathematics compared to the state average of 36.4%. The school also has a lower student-teacher ratio than nearby schools, ranging from 15.3 to 16.4 over the past few years. However, McRae Elementary has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.32% to 61.66%, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

While McRae Elementary is a strong-performing school, it is not the top-performing school in the Searcy School District. Westside Elementary consistently ranks higher and has stronger test scores across all subjects and grade levels. Additionally, McRae Elementary's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 44th out of 494 schools in 2015-2016 to 194th out of 497 schools in 2023-2024. This variability in performance suggests that factors beyond just funding, such as instructional practices, teacher quality, and school leadership, may be more influential in driving student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-3

609 W McRae
Searcy, AR 72143

(501) 268-3936

District: Searcy School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
194^th of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,687

Students who attend McRae Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ahlf Junior High School
	Southwest Middle School
High:	Searcy High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 422

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.0%

Hispanic:

11.1%

Two or more races:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.5%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare McRae Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McRae Elementary School ranks better than 61% of elementary schools in Arkansas. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Searcy School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.77. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (72%), Hispanic (11.1%), two or more races (9.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McRae Elementary School is 16.4. 1 elementary schools in the Searcy School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare McRae Elementary School employs 25.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McRae Elementary School is $9,687. 1 elementary schools in the Searcy School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

McRae Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Searcy School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Searcy School District 39^th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McRae Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2005	67.28	127^th	411	69.1%
2006	60.53	180^th	402	55.2%
2007	79.33	64^th	440	85.5%
2008	69.86	139^th	439	68.3%
2009	66.90	154^th	445	65.4%
2010	52.87	256^th	457	44.0%
2011	47.27	297^th	471	36.9%
2016	83.54	44^th	494	91.1%
2017	51.35	243^rd	485	49.9%
2018	63.55	178^th	480	62.9%
2019	67.60	153^rd	488	68.6%
2021	68.51	152^nd	496	69.4%
2022	62.14	185^th	487	62.0%
2023	77.33	101^st	492	79.5%
2024	61.77	194^th	497	61.0%

See the entire list of Arkansas Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Enrollment information for McRae Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	532	38	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	574
1989	611	43	n/a	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	658
1990	606	35	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	644
1991	656	35	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	696
1992	603	48	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	656
1993	614	55	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	672
1994	601	55	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	666
1995	582	53	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	646
1996	582	53	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	646
1997	558	63	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	631
1998	559	64	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	633
1999	519	86	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	613
2000	424	75	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	506
2001	447	82	1	8	1	n/a	n/a	539
2002	417	65	1	3	3	n/a	n/a	489
2003	417	65	1	3	3	n/a	n/a	489
2004	424	82	0	6	3	n/a	n/a	515
2005	421	87	1	16	4	n/a	n/a	529
2006	459	85	1	20	1	n/a	n/a	566
2007	450	84	1	13	2	n/a	n/a	550
2008	472	74	2	23	3	n/a	n/a	574
2009	470	80	1	17	4	n/a	n/a	572
2010	475	82	1	28	0	0	26	612
2011	454	84	1	37	6	0	27	609
2012	368	50	0	37	2	1	26	484
2013	337	50	0	30	3	0	29	449
2014	372	53	1	32	0	0	26	484
2015	350	57	1	33	0	0	28	469
2016	358	61	1	40	0	0	39	499
2017	381	56	7	45	0	0	33	522
2018	341	54	5	49	0	0	40	489
2019	347	45	4	35	0	0	37	468
2020	336	49	8	41	0	0	37	471
2021	300	42	5	44	0	0	42	433
2022	310	35	6	40	1	0	45	437
2023	304	25	5	47	1	0	40	422

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McRae Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	574	27.4	20.9	n/a
1989	658	32.0	20.5	n/a
1990	644	32.0	20.1	22.4
1991	696	33.9	20.5	23.3
1992	656	35.1	18.6	31.3
1993	672	35.4	19.0	35.1
1994	666	36.5	18.2	36.5
1995	646	36.7	17.6	37.8
1996	646	36.7	17.6	37.8
1997	631	35.5	17.8	31.9
1998	633	35.5	17.8	33.5
1999	613	28.0	21.9	43.1
2000	506	30.0	16.9	45.1
2001	539	32.0	16.8	51.2
2002	489	32.0	15.3	49.1
2003	489	32.0	15.3	49.1
2004	515	33.0	15.6	50.7
2005	529	36.0	14.7	51.8
2006	566	37.0	15.3	52.7
2007	550	40.0	13.8	56.2
2008	574	41.0	14.0	50.9
2009	572	43.0	13.3	51
2010	612	41.4	14.5	58.5
2011	609	42.2	14.4	62.4
2012	484	34.4	14.0	63
2013	449	32.3	13.8	61.5
2014	484	34.3	14.0	62.6
2015	469	34.0	13.7	59.1
2016	499	33.0	15.1	64.3
2017	522	36.7	14.1	30.1
2018	489	35.8	13.6	29.4
2019	468	27.4	17.0	59.2
2020	471	29.7	15.8	62.4
2021	433	28.1	15.3	61.7
2022	437	26.7	16.3	53.3
2023	422	25.6	16.4	58.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McRae Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	574	27.4	20.9	n/a
1989	658	32.0	20.5	n/a
1990	644	32.0	20.1	22.4
1991	696	33.9	20.5	23.3
1992	656	35.1	18.6	31.3
1993	672	35.4	19.0	35.1
1994	666	36.5	18.2	36.5
1995	646	36.7	17.6	37.8
1996	646	36.7	17.6	37.8
1997	631	35.5	17.8	31.9
1998	633	35.5	17.8	33.5
1999	613	28.0	21.9	43.1
2000	506	30.0	16.9	45.1
2001	539	32.0	16.8	51.2
2002	489	32.0	15.3	49.1
2003	489	32.0	15.3	49.1
2004	515	33.0	15.6	50.7
2005	529	36.0	14.7	51.8
2006	566	37.0	15.3	52.7
2007	550	40.0	13.8	56.2
2008	574	41.0	14.0	50.9
2009	572	43.0	13.3	51
2010	612	41.4	14.5	58.5
2011	609	42.2	14.4	62.4
2012	484	34.4	14.0	63
2013	449	32.3	13.8	61.5
2014	484	34.3	14.0	62.6
2015	469	34.0	13.7	59.1
2016	499	33.0	15.1	64.3
2017	522	36.7	14.1	30.1
2018	489	35.8	13.6	29.4
2019	468	27.4	17.0	59.2
2020	471	29.7	15.8	62.4
2021	433	28.1	15.3	61.7
2022	437	26.7	16.3	53.3
2023	422	25.6	16.4	58.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for McRae Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,473 (25.5%)	$7,214 (74.5%)	$9,687

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McRae Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 153^rd of 488 Elementary schools	Ranks 101^st of 492 Elementary schools	10.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English (McRae Elementary School)	80.8	75.9	4.9%
3rd Grade English (Searcy School District)	77.6	67	10.6%
3rd Grade English (Arkansas)	72.4	62.6	9.8%
3rd Grade Math (McRae Elementary School)	69.7	70.5	0.8%
3rd Grade Math (Searcy School District)	68.2	61.3	6.9%
3rd Grade Math (Arkansas)	62.1	54.4	7.7%
3rd Grade Science (McRae Elementary School)	40.4	44.7	4.3%
3rd Grade Science (Searcy School District)	47.1	41.7	5.4%
3rd Grade Science (Arkansas)	39.4	35	4.4%
3rd Grade Reading (McRae Elementary School)	46.8	37.5	9.3%
3rd Grade Reading (Searcy School District)	51.1	37	14.1%
3rd Grade Reading (Arkansas)	38.3	32.2	6.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	468	422	9.8%
African American	45	25	44.4%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	4	5	25%
Hispanic	35	47	34.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	347	304	12.4%
Two or More Races	37	40	8.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.2%	58.5%	0.7%

Schools Near McRae Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)					ATLAS Reading (2024)					ATLAS Mathematics (2024)					ATLAS Science (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McRae Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	609 W McRae	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 268-3936	422	26	16.4	58.5%	304 (72.0%)	25 (5.9%)	47 (11.1%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.5%)	61.8	194^th of 497 public elementary schools	61.0%		77.3	101^st of 492 public elementary schools	79.5%	93	36.0				36.0	34.2				34.2	50.0				50.0	41.2				41.2	$9,687	$2,473	$7,214
Sidney Deener Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	163 Cloverdale Blvd	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 268-3850	385	21	18.0	73.5%	216 (56.1%)	75 (19.5%)	39 (10.1%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (12.5%)	47.7	271^st of 497 public elementary schools	45.5%		32.3	357^th of 492 public elementary schools	27.4%	86	31.6				31.6	30.6				30.6	39.8				39.8	34.7				34.7	$10,443	$2,882	$7,561
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	512 Country Club Rd	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 268-0111	438	27	16.0	40.2%	346 (79.0%)	18 (4.1%)	35 (8.0%)	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.6%)	89.7	36^th of 497 public elementary schools	92.8%		81.6	70^th of 492 public elementary schools	85.8%	34	55.0				55.0	49.2				49.2	65.8				65.8	54.2				54.2	$8,290	$756	$7,534
Kensett Elementary School	Public	K-6	701 W Dandridge St	Kensett	72082	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 742-3221	302	19	15.9	89.1%	172 (57.0%)	51 (16.9%)	40 (13.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (12.3%)	27	387^th of 497 public elementary schools	22.1%		22	399^th of 492 public elementary schools	18.9%	12	16.2	27.5	9.8	26.9	20.1	18.9	27.6	19.5	23.1	22.0	27.0	20.6	24.4	36.5	28.3	16.2	20.7	22.0	32.7	23.9	$10,485	$1,968	$8,516
Judsonia Elementary School	Public	K-6	1004 Boardman	Judsonia	72081	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 729-5196	304	19	15.9	75.3%	254 (83.6%)	9 (3.0%)	23 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.6%)	37.4	332^nd of 497 public elementary schools	33.2%		44.9	312^th of 492 public elementary schools	36.6%	20	18.8	28.5	41.3	18.2	28.1	21.9	30.6	45.7	24.3	31.9	25.0	14.3	23.9	30.3	22.5	15.6	32.6	39.1	27.2	30.0	$10,445	$2,036	$8,409
White County Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3259 Hwy 157	Judsonia	72081	White County	White County Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 729-4292	554	37	14.9	67.5%	505 (91.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.5%)	78.3	88^th of 497 public elementary schools	82.3%		58.2	217^th of 492 public elementary schools	55.9%	129	41.9	46.5	50.8	57.5	49.4	38.7	47.9	55.6	54.8	49.4	67.8	50.7	33.3	46.6	49.4	50.0	42.5	34.9	45.2	43.2	$8,542	$1,572	$6,970
H.L. Lubker Elementary School	Public	K-5	103 W Park St	Bald Knob	72010	White County	Bald Knob School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 724-3714	482	33	14.6	62.7%	419 (86.9%)	13 (2.7%)	22 (4.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	46.2	281^st of 497 public elementary schools	43.5%		46.9	299^th of 492 public elementary schools	39.2%	18	28.9	28.2	32.5		29.8	30.3	30.3	31.3		30.6	42.1	24.0	39.7		34.4	36.9	43.0	29.8		36.9	$9,641	$1,895	$7,746
Pangburn Elementary School	Public	K-6	1100 Short St	Pangburn	72121	White County	Pangburn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 728-4912	391	26	15.0	66.8%	377 (96.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	63.5	178^th of 497 public elementary schools	64.2%		53.1	246^th of 492 public elementary schools	50.0%	68	45.9	38.4	36.9	27.4	37.5	45.9	38.5	35.4	23.5	36.2	45.9	46.1	35.4	35.3	40.6	52.5	51.9	41.6	41.1	46.7	$9,501	$1,697	$7,804
Beebe Early Childhood	Public	K-1	301 S Holly St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	486	31	15.5	55.8%	417 (85.8%)	16 (3.3%)	23 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.8%)								(n/a)																					$8,776	$1,352	$7,424
Beebe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-3392	871	48	18.3	53.5%	726 (83.4%)	31 (3.6%)	41 (4.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	68 (7.8%)	63	181^st of 497 public elementary schools	63.6%		64	177^th of 492 public elementary schools	64.0%	4	35.6	40.9			38.2	37.3	41.3			39.2	42.8	44.6			43.7	38.8	41.3			40.0	$9,798	$2,532	$7,266

Frequently Asked Questions about McRae Elementary School

Is McRae Elementary School a good school?

McRae Elementary School ranks 194^th of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is McRae Elementary School in?

Searcy School District

What schools do graduates of McRae Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McRae Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ahlf Junior High School
Middle : Southwest Middle School
High : Searcy High School

How many students attend McRae Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 422 students attended McRae Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of McRae Elementary School?

Students at McRae Elementary School are 72% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% African American, 1% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.