Murphy Elementary

Summary:

Murphy Elementary is a public elementary school serving 536 students in grades PK-5 in the town of Murphy, North Carolina, which is part of the Cherokee County Schools district.

While Murphy Elementary has maintained relatively small class sizes, the school is facing some significant challenges. Its academic performance has declined in recent years, dropping from a high ranking of 427 out of 1,489 North Carolina elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 817 out of 1,505 in 2023-2024, placing it in the bottom half of the state. This decline is concerning, and the school's performance varies greatly across different student subgroups, with White students performing well but African American, Hispanic, and disabled students struggling. Additionally, Murphy Elementary serves an extremely high-poverty student population, with 99% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Cherokee County district, such as Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle and Peachtree Elementary, Murphy Elementary generally performs on par or slightly below average. Addressing the unique needs of its diverse student body, particularly its non-White and low-income populations, will be crucial for improving the school's overall academic outcomes.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 315 Valley River Avenue
       Murphy, NC  28906-2830


(828) 837-2424

District: Cherokee County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
817th of 1,505 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,640 Help


Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Murphy Middle
High:    Murphy High

Student/teacher ratio:  12.6 Help
Number of students:  536

Racial breakdown:

White:
85.6%
Two or more races:
6.7%
Hispanic:
3.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  99.4% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Murphy Elementary ranks worse than 54.3% of elementary schools in North Carolina. It also ranks 5th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Cherokee County Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.1. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Murphy Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cherokee County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (85.6%), two or more races (6.7%), Hispanic (3.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 99.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Cherokee County Schools District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murphy Elementary is 12.6. 3 elementary schools in the Cherokee County Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Murphy Elementary employs 42.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murphy Elementary is $12,640. 4 elementary schools in the Cherokee County Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Murphy Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Murphy Elementary 817th of 1505 North Carolina public elementary schools. (See Murphy Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Cherokee County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherokee County Schools 82nd of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Murphy Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 47.05 758th 1276 40.6%
2007 60.07 547th 1293 57.7%
2008 71.38 326th 1324 75.4%
2009 67.31 453rd 1354 66.5%
2010 61.55 584th 1363 57.2%
2011 63.02 568th 1381 58.9%
2012 61.45 572nd 1388 58.8%
2013 55.07 581st 1403 58.6%
2014 59.40 547th 1390 60.6%
2015 65.08 483rd 1440 66.5%
2016 54.92 643rd 1425 54.9%
2017 61.73 543rd 1429 62.0%
2018 63.87 514th 1434 64.2%
2019 63.79 509th 1473 65.4%
2021 67.92 427th 1489 71.3%
2022 58.04 620th 1514 59.0%
2023 51.96 735th 1502 51.1%
2024 46.10 817th 1505 45.7%
See the entire list of North Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 35.83 512th 801 36.1%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.84 360th 1332 73.0%
2019 50.86 658th 1361 51.7%
2021 66.64 310th 1329 76.7%
2022 61.91 411th 1366 69.9%
2023 55.47 590th 1437 58.9%
2024 49.16 721st 1450 50.3%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.81 572nd 1405 59.3%
2019 69.00 402nd 1424 71.8%
2021 73.54 307th 1440 78.7%
2022 63.94 476th 1458 67.4%
2023 54.73 643rd 1459 55.9%
2024 46.61 773rd 1455 46.9%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.44 604th 897 32.7%
2019 26.54 733rd 878 16.5%
2021 23.78 558th 646 13.6%
2022 35.65 393rd 634 38.0%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 65.32 118th 612 80.7%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.65 456th 1413 67.7%
2019 57.33 611th 1430 57.3%
2021 56.29 599th 1444 58.5%
2022 50.50 708th 1464 51.6%
2023 49.37 761st 1461 47.9%
2024 44.75 832nd 1464 43.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Murphy Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools NC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.23 829th 1178 29.6%
2019 36.33 827th 1183 30.1%
2021 40.55 714th 1172 39.1%
2022 34.72 840th 1194 29.6%
2023 29.89 912th 1183 22.9%
2024 23.10 989th 1166 15.2%
See the entire list of Best North Carolina Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Murphy Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Murphy Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 601 37 6 5 15 n/a n/a 0 664
1989 562 34 4 3 7 n/a n/a 0 610
1990 541 37 3 4 9 n/a n/a 0 594
1991 515 35 4 5 14 n/a n/a 0 573
1992 498 30 3 4 28 n/a n/a 0 563
1993 497 29 3 5 24 n/a n/a 16 574
1994 516 33 3 4 25 n/a n/a 16 597
1995 541 42 4 7 7 n/a n/a 0 601
1996 541 42 4 7 7 n/a n/a 0 601
1997 538 41 4 7 13 n/a n/a 0 603
1998 457 35 4 8 9 n/a n/a 0 513
1999 430 37 7 7 6 n/a n/a 0 487
2000 395 40 6 10 7 n/a n/a 0 458
2001 428 40 8 6 15 n/a n/a 0 497
2002 420 33 10 6 10 n/a n/a 0 479
2003 420 33 10 6 10 n/a n/a 0 479
2004 415 28 10 3 8 n/a n/a 0 464
2005 436 32 13 4 10 n/a n/a 0 495
2006 452 37 11 8 11 n/a n/a 0 519
2007 453 26 12 7 11 n/a n/a 11 520
2008 450 22 4 7 8 n/a n/a 16 507
2009 395 36 1 9 8 n/a n/a 0 449
2010 411 34 5 10 6 n/a n/a 0 466
2011 403 22 3 16 10 0 16 0 470
2012 419 19 5 14 8 0 15 0 480
2013 400 16 6 13 6 0 14 0 455
2014 354 15 6 13 3 0 16 0 407
2015 391 17 7 14 2 0 14 0 445
2016 420 20 5 18 8 0 20 0 491
2017 400 16 4 16 8 0 25 0 469
2018 405 18 5 16 9 0 37 0 490
2019 390 14 5 23 7 0 35 0 474
2020 390 14 5 30 6 0 33 0 478
2021 320 12 4 17 4 1 28 0 386
2022 351 15 1 19 3 0 33 0 422
2023 459 15 7 17 2 0 36 0 536

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 Murphy Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 664 37.0 17.9 36.9
1989 610 37.0 16.4 60.8
1990 594 37.0 16.0 48.5
1991 573 37.0 15.4 50.3
1992 563 37.0 15.2 33.2
1993 574 38.0 15.1 42.8
1994 597 38.0 15.7 46.3
1995 601 38.0 15.8 44.4
1996 601 38.0 15.8 44.4
1997 603 40.0 15.1 44.6
1998 513 37.0 13.9 50.1
1999 487 37.0 13.2 56.9
2000 458 37.0 12.4 59.8
2001 497 37.0 13.4 57.1
2002 479 38.0 12.6 58.2
2003 479 38.0 12.6 58.2
2004 464 38.0 12.2 63.1
2005 495 42.0 11.8 60.2
2006 519 42.0 12.4 57
2007 520 n/a n/a 56.6
2008 507 39.5 12.8 60.3
2009 449 39.0 11.5 60.4
2010 466 37.0 12.6 61.6
2011 470 32.0 14.6 63.4
2012 480 33.5 14.3 61.3
2013 455 33.5 13.5 66.2
2014 407 35.8 11.3 66.6
2015 445 33.0 13.4 99.3
2016 491 34.0 14.4 99
2017 469 36.8 12.7 99.4
2018 490 36.7 13.3 99.4
2019 474 39.8 11.8 99.4
2020 478 36.3 13.1 99.4
2021 386 39.1 9.8 99.2
2022 422 38.5 10.9 99.3
2023 536 42.4 12.6 99.4

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 Murphy Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 664 37.0 17.9 36.9
1989 610 37.0 16.4 60.8
1990 594 37.0 16.0 48.5
1991 573 37.0 15.4 50.3
1992 563 37.0 15.2 33.2
1993 574 38.0 15.1 42.8
1994 597 38.0 15.7 46.3
1995 601 38.0 15.8 44.4
1996 601 38.0 15.8 44.4
1997 603 40.0 15.1 44.6
1998 513 37.0 13.9 50.1
1999 487 37.0 13.2 56.9
2000 458 37.0 12.4 59.8
2001 497 37.0 13.4 57.1
2002 479 38.0 12.6 58.2
2003 479 38.0 12.6 58.2
2004 464 38.0 12.2 63.1
2005 495 42.0 11.8 60.2
2006 519 42.0 12.4 57
2007 520 n/a n/a 56.6
2008 507 39.5 12.8 60.3
2009 449 39.0 11.5 60.4
2010 466 37.0 12.6 61.6
2011 470 32.0 14.6 63.4
2012 480 33.5 14.3 61.3
2013 455 33.5 13.5 66.2
2014 407 35.8 11.3 66.6
2015 445 33.0 13.4 99.3
2016 491 34.0 14.4 99
2017 469 36.8 12.7 99.4
2018 490 36.7 13.3 99.4
2019 474 39.8 11.8 99.4
2020 478 36.3 13.1 99.4
2021 386 39.1 9.8 99.2
2022 422 38.5 10.9 99.3
2023 536 42.4 12.6 99.4

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 Murphy Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,376 (10.9%) $11,264 (89.1%) $12,640

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Murphy Elementary

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 509th of 1473 Elementary schoolsRanks 735th of 1502 Elementary schools
 14.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)64.945.3
 19.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Cherokee County Schools)70.854.7
 16.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)64.361.1
 3.2%
3rd Grade Reading (Murphy Elementary)51.438.7
 12.7%
   3rd Grade Reading (Cherokee County Schools)56.243.8
 12.4%
   3rd Grade Reading (North Carolina)56.848
 8.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)64.650
 14.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Cherokee County Schools)56.652.1
 4.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
4th Grade Reading (Murphy Elementary)65.952.3
 13.6%
   4th Grade Reading (Cherokee County Schools)62.154.3
 7.8%
   4th Grade Reading (North Carolina)57.355.3
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)64.361.3
 3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Cherokee County Schools)59.256.1
 3.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (North Carolina)60.255.9
 4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Murphy Elementary)64.364
 0.3%
   5th Grade Reading (Cherokee County Schools)64.457.5
 6.9%
   5th Grade Reading (North Carolina)54.648
 6.6%
5th Grade Science (Murphy Elementary)79.674.7
 4.9%
   5th Grade Science (Cherokee County Schools)77.574.7
 2.8%
   5th Grade Science (North Carolina)72.665.3
 7.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students474536
 13.1%
African American1415
 7.1%
American Indian72
 71.4%
Asian57
 40%
Hispanic2317
 26.1%
Pacific Islander00
White390459
 17.7%
Two or More Races3536
 2.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients99.4%99.4%
 0.1%


Schools Near Murphy Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Murphy Elementary

Students at Murphy Elementary are 86% White, 7% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

Murphy Elementary ranks 817th of 1505 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Murphy Middle
High : Murphy High

In the 2022-23 school year, 536 students attended Murphy Elementary.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

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.





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