Sidney Deener Elementary School

Q: Is Sidney Deener Elementary School a good school?

Sidney Deener Elementary School ranks 271 st of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sidney Deener Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 385 students in grades PK-3 in Searcy, Arkansas, which is part of the Searcy School District.

While the Searcy School District is ranked 39 out of 252 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating, Sidney Deener Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on test scores. For example, in 2023-2024, only 31.6% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts and Reading, compared to 41.6% and 36.1% for the district and state, respectively. Additionally, Sidney Deener has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 61.58% to 73.51% over the past few years, significantly higher than the nearby Westside Elementary (40.18%) and McRae Elementary schools within the same district.

Despite spending more per student ($10,443 in 2018-2019) than the nearby Westside Elementary ($8,290) and McRae Elementary ($9,687) schools, and having a higher student-teacher ratio of 18:1 in 2022-2023 compared to 16:1 and 16.4:1 at the other two schools, Sidney Deener Elementary's academic performance continues to lag behind. This suggests that factors beyond just funding and staffing may be contributing to the school's challenges, and further investigation would be necessary to identify potential areas for improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-3

163 Cloverdale Blvd
Searcy, AR 72143

(501) 268-3850

District: Searcy School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
271^st of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,443

Students who attend Sidney Deener Elementary School usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 18.0

Number of students: 385

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.1%

African American:

19.5%

Two or more races:

12.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.5%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare Sidney Deener Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sidney Deener Elementary School ranks worse than 54.5% of elementary schools in Arkansas. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Searcy School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.67. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Sidney Deener Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Searcy School District. Student population at Sidney Deener Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (56.1%), African American (19.5%), two or more races (12.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Searcy School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sidney Deener Elementary School is 18, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Searcy School District! (See more...)

Compare Sidney Deener Elementary School employs 21.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sidney Deener Elementary School is $10,443, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Searcy School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sidney Deener 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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Your rating for Sidney Deener Elementary School?

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Rank History for Sidney Deener Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2005	92.70	9^th	411	97.8%
2006	85.86	29^th	402	92.8%
2007	84.34	35^th	440	92.0%
2008	74.68	92^nd	439	79.0%
2009	81.01	55^th	445	87.6%
2010	78.54	70^th	457	84.7%
2011	76.45	88^th	471	81.3%
2016	59.89	185^th	494	62.6%
2017	55.80	213^th	485	56.1%
2018	56.17	226^th	480	52.9%
2019	53.50	250^th	488	48.8%
2021	67.60	156^th	496	68.5%
2022	59.94	208^th	487	57.3%
2023	32.25	357^th	492	27.4%
2024	47.67	271^st	497	45.5%

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 Sidney Deener Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	496	33	5	1	1	n/a	n/a	536
1989	502	32	4	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	538
1990	539	20	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	564
1991	531	16	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	556
1992	420	14	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	443
1993	421	19	6	3	1	n/a	n/a	450
1994	460	26	7	7	0	n/a	n/a	500
1995	453	27	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	493
1996	453	27	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	493
1997	440	44	9	10	1	n/a	n/a	504
1998	458	52	8	14	0	n/a	n/a	532
1999	475	43	7	10	0	n/a	n/a	535
2000	378	45	3	7	2	n/a	n/a	435
2001	362	52	4	19	0	n/a	n/a	437
2002	365	51	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	432
2003	365	51	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	432
2004	331	74	1	13	0	n/a	n/a	419
2005	337	71	1	11	0	n/a	n/a	420
2006	344	88	2	14	0	n/a	n/a	448
2007	308	80	3	27	6	n/a	n/a	424
2008	348	60	3	27	0	n/a	n/a	438
2009	344	74	2	43	0	n/a	n/a	463
2010	322	61	2	51	3	0	24	463
2011	302	69	0	57	2	0	25	455
2012	248	64	0	54	2	0	28	396
2013	262	59	1	68	2	0	29	421
2014	274	69	4	62	2	0	27	438
2015	263	71	10	62	3	0	21	430
2016	266	74	6	56	2	0	24	428
2017	213	64	9	53	0	0	23	362
2018	238	60	6	51	1	0	20	376
2019	242	60	4	43	0	0	23	372
2020	245	54	6	50	0	0	29	384
2021	217	61	6	40	0	0	25	349
2022	219	68	8	48	0	0	37	380
2023	216	75	7	39	0	0	48	385

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 Sidney Deener Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	536	24.4	21.9	n/a
1989	538	25.0	21.5	n/a
1990	564	26.0	21.6	12.2
1991	556	27.4	20.2	11.7
1992	443	25.6	17.3	28.9
1993	450	25.4	17.7	27.6
1994	500	27.5	18.2	31.8
1995	493	27.7	17.8	32.9
1996	493	27.7	17.8	32.9
1997	504	28.5	17.7	31.5
1998	532	28.5	18.7	38.3
1999	535	26.0	20.6	45.2
2000	435	29.0	15.0	53.8
2001	437	28.0	15.6	53.3
2002	432	29.0	14.9	52.8
2003	432	29.0	14.9	52.8
2004	419	28.0	15.0	54.4
2005	420	33.0	12.7	56.2
2006	448	30.0	14.9	60.5
2007	424	34.0	12.5	65.3
2008	438	35.0	12.5	61.6
2009	463	37.0	12.5	64.4
2010	463	37.5	12.1	67.4
2011	455	39.0	11.6	67.3
2012	396	34.9	11.3	66.2
2013	421	30.5	13.7	69.4
2014	438	36.0	12.1	74.7
2015	430	34.0	12.6	72.6
2016	428	34.0	12.5	75.7
2017	362	31.3	11.5	30.7
2018	376	30.5	12.2	30.1
2019	372	22.0	16.8	68
2020	384	22.2	17.2	71.4
2021	349	22.5	15.4	71.6
2022	380	24.5	15.4	61.6
2023	385	21.3	18.0	73.5

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 Sidney Deener Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	536	24.4	21.9	n/a
1989	538	25.0	21.5	n/a
1990	564	26.0	21.6	12.2
1991	556	27.4	20.2	11.7
1992	443	25.6	17.3	28.9
1993	450	25.4	17.7	27.6
1994	500	27.5	18.2	31.8
1995	493	27.7	17.8	32.9
1996	493	27.7	17.8	32.9
1997	504	28.5	17.7	31.5
1998	532	28.5	18.7	38.3
1999	535	26.0	20.6	45.2
2000	435	29.0	15.0	53.8
2001	437	28.0	15.6	53.3
2002	432	29.0	14.9	52.8
2003	432	29.0	14.9	52.8
2004	419	28.0	15.0	54.4
2005	420	33.0	12.7	56.2
2006	448	30.0	14.9	60.5
2007	424	34.0	12.5	65.3
2008	438	35.0	12.5	61.6
2009	463	37.0	12.5	64.4
2010	463	37.5	12.1	67.4
2011	455	39.0	11.6	67.3
2012	396	34.9	11.3	66.2
2013	421	30.5	13.7	69.4
2014	438	36.0	12.1	74.7
2015	430	34.0	12.6	72.6
2016	428	34.0	12.5	75.7
2017	362	31.3	11.5	30.7
2018	376	30.5	12.2	30.1
2019	372	22.0	16.8	68
2020	384	22.2	17.2	71.4
2021	349	22.5	15.4	71.6
2022	380	24.5	15.4	61.6
2023	385	21.3	18.0	73.5

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 Sidney Deener Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,882 (27.6%)	$7,561 (72.4%)	$10,443

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sidney Deener 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 250^th of 488 Elementary schools	Ranks 357^th of 492 Elementary schools	21.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English (Sidney Deener Elementary School)	67.7	51.7	16%
3rd Grade English (Searcy School District)	77.6	67	10.6%
3rd Grade English (Arkansas)	72.4	62.6	9.8%
3rd Grade Math (Sidney Deener Elementary School)	59.4	40.7	18.7%
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 (Sidney Deener Elementary School)	42.7	23.1	19.6%
3rd Grade Science (Searcy School District)	47.1	41.7	5.4%
3rd Grade Science (Arkansas)	39.4	35	4.4%
3rd Grade Reading (Sidney Deener Elementary School)	45.9	30.8	15.1%
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	372	385	3.5%
African American	60	75	25%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	7	75%
Hispanic	43	39	9.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	242	216	10.7%
Two or More Races	23	48	108.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	68%	73.5%	5.5%

Schools Near Sidney Deener 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
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
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
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
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
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 Sidney Deener Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Sidney Deener Elementary School?

Students at Sidney Deener Elementary School are 56% White, 19% African American, 12% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

Is Sidney Deener Elementary School a good school?

Sidney Deener Elementary School ranks 271^st of 497 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Sidney Deener Elementary School in?

Searcy School District

How many students attend Sidney Deener Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 385 students attended Sidney Deener Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Sidney Deener Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sidney Deener Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

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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.