William M. McGarrah Elementary School

Summary:

William M. McGarrah Elementary School is a public elementary school in Morrow, Georgia, serving 642 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Clayton County School District, which is ranked 168 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating.

The school consistently underperforms compared to the Clayton County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessment, with proficiency rates significantly lower than the state in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade English Language Arts. William M. McGarrah Elementary has a low statewide ranking, placing in the bottom quarter of Georgia elementary schools, and has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 90.31% to 93.04% over the past few years. The school's spending per student has also been relatively low, below the state average.

When comparing William M. McGarrah Elementary to nearby schools in the same district, the performance metrics are generally similar, with most surrounding schools also having low test scores, low statewide rankings, and high poverty rates. However, Morrow Elementary School, located about 1.4 miles away, stands out as an outlier with relatively higher test scores and a higher statewide ranking, suggesting that there may be factors within the Morrow Elementary School community or approach that could provide insights for improving performance at William M. McGarrah.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2201 Lake Harbin Rd
Morrow, GA 30260

(770) 968-2910

District: Clayton County

SchoolDigger Rank:
974^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,799

Students who attend William M. McGarrah Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Morrow Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 649

Racial breakdown:

African American:

61.0%

Hispanic:

22.0%

Asian:

9.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 98.9%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare William M. McGarrah Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details William M. McGarrah Elementary School ranks worse than 78% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 15^th among 36 ranked elementary schools in the Clayton County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.45. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (61%), Hispanic (22%), Asian (9.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 98.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at William M. McGarrah Elementary School is 14.7. 23 elementary schools in the Clayton County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare William M. McGarrah Elementary School employs 44 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William M. McGarrah Elementary School is $8,799, which is the 12^th highest among 36 elementary schools in the Clayton County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

William M. McGarrah Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Clayton County:

SchoolDigger ranks Clayton County 168^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for William M. McGarrah Elementary School.

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Rank History for William M. McGarrah Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	23.59	928^th	1101	15.7%
2007	24.20	938^th	1125	16.6%
2008	30.40	890^th	1134	21.5%
2009	26.14	940^th	1133	17.0%
2010	44.35	774^th	1183	34.6%
2011	39.70	848^th	1212	30.0%
2012	26.76	979^th	1201	18.5%
2013	46.11	792^nd	1225	35.3%
2014	52.27	709^th	1231	42.4%
2015	36.79	782^nd	1240	36.9%
2016	43.66	660^th	1233	46.5%
2017	38.14	727^th	1205	39.7%
2018	43.52	662^nd	1209	45.2%
2019	35.56	779^th	1234	36.9%
2021	27.57	849^th	1214	30.1%
2022	19.61	998^th	1244	19.8%
2023	19.95	1011^th	1242	18.6%
2024	22.45	974^th	1248	22.0%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, January 13, 2020

This school have the best staff ever,the teachers care for the students, they communicate with the parents,my daughter's second grade teacher, ms Noble share helpful tutotial videos,to help the students with homework at home,she call to update on your child progress,or where they need help.My oldest daughter graduates here last here from 5th grades,with honors,she is very smart,but I'm thankful for the teachers that help her stay focused. Big thanks to Ms Downs,Mr Ables,Coach Pickering,Ms Perkins,Dr Buskey,Ms Maxon,Ms Midget, Ms Wilson,Ms Sweeney, Mr Scales,and all of other great teacher at Mc Garrah.I appreciate that the staff always stands outside early in the morning to get kids out of the car riders lane,even in the rain,freezing cold,they are outside, Mr Able,Mr pickering,and all others,thank you,you guys are THE BEST. Close Quote

Enrollment information for William M. McGarrah Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	939	939
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	838	838
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	954	954
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1042	1042
1994	697	326	13	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	1072
1995	569	429	30	59	1	n/a	n/a	0	1088
1996	569	429	30	59	1	n/a	n/a	0	1088
1997	541	465	32	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	1081
1998	486	536	33	59	0	n/a	n/a	0	1114
1999	409	613	47	72	0	n/a	n/a	0	1141
2000	336	686	51	68	0	n/a	n/a	0	1141
2001	258	624	54	68	0	n/a	n/a	0	1004
2002	181	581	64	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	914
2003	181	581	64	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	914
2004	156	585	75	109	0	n/a	n/a	0	925
2005	71	448	52	86	0	n/a	n/a	51	708
2006	57	430	54	102	0	n/a	n/a	41	684
2007	56	428	64	119	1	n/a	n/a	37	705
2008	45	386	80	107	0	n/a	n/a	34	652
2009	37	372	80	111	0	n/a	n/a	33	633
2010	27	352	78	126	4	0	25	0	612
2011	36	361	90	138	3	0	26	0	654
2012	35	371	93	137	3	0	31	0	670
2013	38	387	89	143	3	0	28	0	688
2014	36	410	85	145	5	0	30	0	711
2015	26	421	85	159	4	0	29	0	724
2016	20	420	80	158	4	0	31	0	713
2017	21	462	71	152	6	0	23	0	735
2018	23	477	72	145	8	0	22	0	747
2019	19	430	68	141	7	0	25	0	690
2020	16	410	70	141	10	0	22	0	669
2021	16	412	61	130	9	0	19	0	647
2022	11	427	61	131	10	0	16	0	656
2023	9	415	56	130	9	0	23	0	642
2024	13	396	63	143	5	0	29	0	649

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 William M. McGarrah Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	939	50.0	18.7	10.9
1991	838	46.0	18.2	17.8
1992	954	46.0	20.7	18.6
1993	1042	69.0	15.1	22.4
1994	1072	46.7	23.0	26.1
1995	1088	48.0	22.7	33.3
1996	1088	48.0	22.7	33.3
1997	1081	46.0	23.5	41.7
1998	1114	53.0	21.0	46.9
1999	1141	55.1	20.7	63.7
2000	1141	57.0	20.0	58
2001	1004	53.6	18.7	61.1
2002	914	50.4	18.1	63.6
2003	914	50.4	18.1	63.6
2004	925	50.4	18.4	68.1
2005	708	52.0	13.6	78.2
2006	684	50.0	13.7	85.4
2007	705	47.5	14.8	82.6
2008	652	49.5	13.2	85.3
2009	633	48.5	13.1	89.3
2010	612	47.0	13.0	83.8
2011	654	45.0	14.5	87.6
2012	670	44.0	15.2	92.4
2013	688	38.5	17.8	91.7
2014	711	41.6	17.0	99.6
2015	724	43.0	16.8	95.6
2016	713	44.0	16.2	99.6
2017	735	43.0	17.0	99.6
2018	747	46.0	16.2	99.5
2019	690	42.0	16.4	92.9
2020	669	43.0	15.5	93
2021	647	43.0	15.0	93
2022	656	45.0	14.5	n/a
2023	642	48.8	13.1	90.3
2024	649	44.0	14.7	98.9

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 William M. McGarrah Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	939	50.0	18.7	10.9
1991	838	46.0	18.2	17.8
1992	954	46.0	20.7	18.6
1993	1042	69.0	15.1	22.4
1994	1072	46.7	23.0	26.1
1995	1088	48.0	22.7	33.3
1996	1088	48.0	22.7	33.3
1997	1081	46.0	23.5	41.7
1998	1114	53.0	21.0	46.9
1999	1141	55.1	20.7	63.7
2000	1141	57.0	20.0	58
2001	1004	53.6	18.7	61.1
2002	914	50.4	18.1	63.6
2003	914	50.4	18.1	63.6
2004	925	50.4	18.4	68.1
2005	708	52.0	13.6	78.2
2006	684	50.0	13.7	85.4
2007	705	47.5	14.8	82.6
2008	652	49.5	13.2	85.3
2009	633	48.5	13.1	89.3
2010	612	47.0	13.0	83.8
2011	654	45.0	14.5	87.6
2012	670	44.0	15.2	92.4
2013	688	38.5	17.8	91.7
2014	711	41.6	17.0	99.6
2015	724	43.0	16.8	95.6
2016	713	44.0	16.2	99.6
2017	735	43.0	17.0	99.6
2018	747	46.0	16.2	99.5
2019	690	42.0	16.4	92.9
2020	669	43.0	15.5	93
2021	647	43.0	15.0	93
2022	656	45.0	14.5	n/a
2023	642	48.8	13.1	90.3
2024	649	44.0	14.7	98.9

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 William M. McGarrah Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$638 (7.2%)	$8,204 (92.8%)	$8,842
2018	$837 (9.0%)	$8,474 (91.0%)	$9,310
2019	$671 (7.6%)	$8,129 (92.4%)	$8,799

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William M. McGarrah 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 779^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 1011^th of 1242 Elementary schools	18.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	33.3	20	13.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Clayton County)	26.9	18.1	8.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	43.2	30.5	12.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Clayton County)	35.9	23.7	12.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	35.1	17.7	17.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Clayton County)	26.5	18.2	8.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	36.3	22.8	13.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Clayton County)	29.2	23.4	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	35.7	21.4	14.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Clayton County)	30.4	22.9	7.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	35.7	18.4	17.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Clayton County)	23.2	15.6	7.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (William M. McGarrah Elementary School)	35.7	16.5	19.2%
5th Grade Science (Clayton County)	26.5	17.1	9.4%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	690	642	7%
African American	430	415	3.5%
American Indian	7	9	28.6%
Asian	68	56	17.6%
Hispanic	141	130	7.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	19	9	52.6%
Two or More Races	25	23	8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	92.9%	90.3%	2.6%

Schools Near William M. McGarrah Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment 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	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
William M. McGarrah Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2201 Lake Harbin Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2910	649	44	14.7	98.9%	13 (2.0%)	396 (61.0%)	143 (22.0%)	63 (9.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.5%)	22.5	974^th of 1248 public elementary schools	22.0%		19.9	1011^th of 1242 public elementary schools	18.6%	37	27.6	18.6	24.4	33.7	27.8	24.4	14.6	$8,799	$671	$8,129
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5885 Maddox Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 675-8019	844	57	14.8	100.0%	12 (1.4%)	591 (70.0%)	140 (16.6%)	69 (8.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (3.6%)	23	963^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	22.8%		23.6	943^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	24.1%	20	18.1	15.6	27.0	25.9	22.0	27.0	36.5	$8,567	$630	$7,937
Morrow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6115 Reynolds Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2900	423	37	11.4	78.3%	11 (2.6%)	199 (47.0%)	130 (30.7%)	68 (16.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)	29	873^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	30.0%		33.8	783^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	37.0%	90	29.4	19.7	29.9	41.2	23.0	31.0	26.4	$10,003	$568	$9,435
Roberta T. Smith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6340 Highway 42	Rex	30273	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 960-5750	755	58	13.0	98.9%	11 (1.5%)	499 (66.1%)	201 (26.6%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (4.2%)	12.7	1144^th of 1248 public elementary schools	8.3%		14	1103^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	11.2%	41	15.7	9.8	31.1	14.8	17.4	17.2	12.6	$8,256	$629	$7,628
Haynie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1169 Morrow Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2905	791	57	13.8	90.5%	13 (1.6%)	281 (35.5%)	430 (54.4%)	49 (6.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.1%)	24	945^th of 1248 public elementary schools	24.3%		24.1	932^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	25.0%	13	22.0	23.9	31.3	22.0	40.4	20.1	23.9	$7,800	$565	$7,235
Sankofa Montessori	Public, Charter	K-6	5881 Phillips Drive	Forest Park	30297	Clayton County	State Specialty Schools II- Sankofa Montessori	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(470) 502-4921	88	6	14.6	72.7%	4 (4.5%)	66 (75.0%)	9 (10.2%)	2 (2.3%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.8%)								(n/a)
Mount Zion Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	2920 Mount Zion Rd	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 473-2700	582	39	14.9	95.7%	6 (1.0%)	414 (71.1%)	127 (21.8%)	11 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)								(n/a)								$8,396	$633	$7,763
Mount Zion Elementary School	Public	3-5	2984 Mount Zion Rd	Jonesboro	30236	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2935	502	34	14.7	94.0%	5 (1.0%)	344 (68.5%)	124 (24.7%)	11 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.2%)	16.3	1078^th of 1248 public elementary schools	13.6%		13.7	1105^th of 1242 public elementary schools	11.0%	27	19.1	23.2	28.9	20.5	19.4	13.3	18.5	$8,834	$666	$8,169
Utopian Academy for the Arts Elementary School	Public, Charter	K-5	2750 Forest Pkwy	Ellenwood	30294	DeKalb County	Clayton County	Yes	No	No	Yes	(470) 446-1070	268	15	17.8	82.8%	2 (0.7%)	233 (86.9%)	15 (5.6%)	4 (1.5%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.1%)	18.1	1036^th of 1248 public elementary schools	17.0%					(n/a)	25.5	22.2		19.1	15.9
Tara Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	937 Mount Zion Rd	Morrow	30260	Clayton County	Clayton County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 968-2915	573	49	11.6	100.0%	10 (1.7%)	348 (60.7%)	196 (34.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.1%)	16.1	1084^th of 1248 public elementary schools	13.1%		16.5	1075^th of 1242 public elementary schools	13.4%	9	23.2	16.0	25.8	15.2	24.7	18.0	19.1	$8,789	$599	$8,191

Frequently Asked Questions about William M. McGarrah Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of William M. McGarrah Elementary School?

Students at William M. McGarrah Elementary School are 61% African American, 22% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of William M. McGarrah Elementary School attend?

Students who attend William M. McGarrah Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Morrow Middle School

Is William M. McGarrah Elementary School a good school?

William M. McGarrah Elementary School ranks in the bottom 22.0% of Georgia elementary schools.

What district is William M. McGarrah Elementary School in?

Clayton County

How many students attend William M. McGarrah Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 649 students attended William M. McGarrah Elementary School.

Rate William M. McGarrah Elementary 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 Georgia Department of 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.