Is Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary a good school?

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary ranks 3364 th of 4675 Texas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 620 students attended Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary?

Students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary are 80% Hispanic, 14% White, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Ferris J H High : Ferris High School

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Summary:

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary is a public elementary school in Ferris, Texas, serving 620 students in grades 1-5. The school is part of the Ferris Independent School District, which is ranked 687 out of 968 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (80.48%) compared to the state average, it has consistently underperformed on STAAR assessments across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade reading proficiency was 44.14%, compared to the state average of 48.85% and the district average of 38.62%. Additionally, the school's rankings for specific student subgroups vary greatly, with African American students ranking highly but English Language Learners and Gifted and Talented students ranking much lower. The school also has a very high percentage of students (over 80%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools within the Ferris Independent School District, such as Lee Longino Elementary, Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary generally performs worse on STAAR assessments. Additionally, the school's White student population has decreased from 17.58% in 2020-2021 to 13.55% in 2022-2023, while the Hispanic student population has increased from 74.8% to 80.48% during the same period. Despite the higher spending per student, the school's academic performance remains below state and district averages, suggesting that additional funding alone may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 1-5

500 Fm 983
Ferris, TX 75125-9112

(972) 544-2574

District: Ferris Independent School District (Isd)

SchoolDigger Rank:
3364^th of 4,675 Texas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,255

Students who attend Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ferris J H
High:	Ferris High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 620

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.5%

White:

13.5%

African American:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.4%

See top rated Texas elementary schools

Compare Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary ranks worse than 72% of elementary schools in Texas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.18. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Ferris Independent School District (Isd). Racial makeup is: Hispanic (80.5%), White (13.5%), African American (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary is 12.5. 1 elementary schools in the Ferris Independent School District (Isd) have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary employs 49.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary is $12,255, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Ferris Independent School District (Isd)!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Ferris Independent School District (Isd):

SchoolDigger ranks Ferris Independent School District (Isd) 687^th of 968 Texas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	50.11	2029^th	4578	55.7%
2022	48.15	2262^nd	4581	50.6%
2023	38.55	2891^st	4647	37.8%
2024	31.18	3364^th	4675	28.0%

See the entire list of Texas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	57.28	1118^th	3446	67.6%
2022	49.43	1684^th	3487	51.7%
2023	34.01	2580^th	3556	27.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	50.94	1368^th	3799	64.0%
2022	49.51	1611^th	3952	59.2%
2023	47.71	1780^th	4086	56.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	63.72	1186^th	4451	73.4%
2022	58.70	1561^st	4477	65.1%
2023	47.10	2376^th	4521	47.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	45.79	2251^st	4499	50.0%
2022	47.16	2323^rd	4561	49.1%
2023	39.23	2836^th	4588	38.2%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	49.68	1770^th	3006	41.1%
2022	49.06	1899^th	2958	35.8%
2023	35.98	2393^rd	2980	19.7%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for At Risk students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	64.03	1000^th	4331	76.9%
2022	54.16	1810^th	4461	59.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for At Risk Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	53.30	1813^th	4498	59.7%
2022	49.22	2213^th	4563	51.5%
2023	39.45	2799^th	4585	39.0%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	32.85	1726^th	2444	29.4%
2022	31.50	1818^th	2421	24.9%
2023	84.88	198^th	2443	91.9%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	58.99	1401^st	4329	67.6%
2022	52.49	1928^th	4376	55.9%
2023	36.37	2990^th	4401	32.1%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	TX State Percentile
2021	38.33	2011^th	3082	34.8%
2022	47.11	1724^th	3082	44.1%
2023	43.69	1882^nd	3106	39.4%

See the entire list of Best Texas Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Texas Education Agency, 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.

Data source: Texas Education Agency

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	158	29	1	142	0	n/a	n/a	330
2003	158	29	1	142	0	n/a	n/a	330
2004	136	34	0	156	1	n/a	n/a	327
2005	150	24	0	154	0	n/a	n/a	328
2006	136	22	0	171	0	n/a	n/a	329
2007	115	24	0	164	1	n/a	n/a	304
2008	156	57	1	309	1	n/a	n/a	524
2009	162	53	1	333	2	n/a	n/a	551
2010	167	50	0	321	1	n/a	n/a	539
2011	135	35	0	345	3	1	8	527
2012	123	34	2	337	1	1	4	502
2013	112	31	1	362	0	1	3	510
2014	107	33	1	376	0	0	2	519
2015	126	33	0	372	2	0	7	540
2016	134	30	0	407	2	0	3	576
2017	134	44	0	374	2	0	5	559
2018	121	33	3	364	1	1	8	531
2019	125	23	2	351	1	1	8	511
2020	111	29	3	363	2	0	4	512
2021	90	25	4	383	3	1	6	512
2022	86	24	2	417	3	0	2	534
2023	84	27	3	499	3	0	4	620

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 Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	330	22.2	14.9	64.5
2003	330	22.2	14.9	64.5
2004	327	22.3	14.7	60.9
2005	328	23.0	14.3	63.7
2006	329	22.2	14.8	67.8
2007	304	20.7	14.7	73.4
2008	524	35.0	15.0	73.5
2009	551	33.9	16.2	77.9
2010	539	38.1	14.1	79.6
2011	527	36.8	14.3	83.1
2012	502	33.0	15.1	84.9
2013	510	34.4	14.7	82.9
2014	519	33.3	15.5	85.2
2015	540	34.0	15.8	81.7
2016	576	36.0	16.0	81.6
2017	559	38.6	14.4	84.3
2018	531	37.0	14.3	84.2
2019	511	34.0	15.0	81.8
2020	512	37.8	13.5	84
2021	512	42.9	11.9	85
2022	534	44.9	11.8	83.7
2023	620	49.2	12.5	83.4

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 Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	330	22.2	14.9	64.5
2003	330	22.2	14.9	64.5
2004	327	22.3	14.7	60.9
2005	328	23.0	14.3	63.7
2006	329	22.2	14.8	67.8
2007	304	20.7	14.7	73.4
2008	524	35.0	15.0	73.5
2009	551	33.9	16.2	77.9
2010	539	38.1	14.1	79.6
2011	527	36.8	14.3	83.1
2012	502	33.0	15.1	84.9
2013	510	34.4	14.7	82.9
2014	519	33.3	15.5	85.2
2015	540	34.0	15.8	81.7
2016	576	36.0	16.0	81.6
2017	559	38.6	14.4	84.3
2018	531	37.0	14.3	84.2
2019	511	34.0	15.0	81.8
2020	512	37.8	13.5	84
2021	512	42.9	11.9	85
2022	534	44.9	11.8	83.7
2023	620	49.2	12.5	83.4

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 Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$594 (6.3%)	$8,879 (93.7%)	$9,473
2020	$807 (8.0%)	$9,312 (92.0%)	$10,119
2021	$1,356 (11.1%)	$10,899 (88.9%)	$12,255

Data source: Texas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lucy Mae McDonald 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.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Reading (Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary)	38	63	25%
3rd Grade Reading (Ferris Independent School District (Isd))	38	47	9%
3rd Grade Reading (Texas)	44	50	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary)	43	28	15%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ferris Independent School District (Isd))	43	26	17%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Texas)	48	43	5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	511	620	21.3%
African American	23	27	17.4%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	2	3	50%
Hispanic	351	499	42.2%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	125	84	32.8%
Two or More Races	8	4	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	81.8%	83.4%	1.6%

Schools Near Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2024)			STAAR Spanish Mathematics (2024)			STAAR Spanish Science (2024)	STAAR Reading (2024)			STAAR Mathematics (2024)			STAAR Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2021)
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	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Spanish Science 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	STAAR Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary	Public	1-5	500 Fm 983	Ferris	75125	Ellis County	Ferris Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 544-2574	620	49	12.5	83.4%	84 (13.5%)	27 (4.4%)	499 (80.5%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	31.2	3364^th of 4675 public elementary schools	28.0%		38.5	2891^st of 4647 public elementary schools	37.8%	473	3.9	33.3	7.1	0.0	0.0	8.3	7.7	44.1	40.2	48.3	25.4	19.1	31.4	21.0	$12,255	$1,356	$10,899
Lee Longino Elementary	Public	1-5	601 W F M 664	Ferris	75125	Ellis County	Ferris Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 544-8662	360	32	11.3	82.2%	95 (26.4%)	38 (10.6%)	216 (60.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	29.4	3469^th of 4675 public elementary schools	25.8%		21.3	3923^rd of 4647 public elementary schools	15.6%	454								30.8	35.4	36.4	28.6	34.2	53.0	10.6	$14,244	$2,230	$12,014
Hazel Ingram Elementary	Public	PK-K	600 S Central	Ferris	75125	Ellis County	Ferris Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 544-3212	322	21	15.6	88.5%	50 (15.5%)	28 (8.7%)	233 (72.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.8%)								(n/a)															$12,470	$929	$11,541
Eddie Bernice Johnson Stem Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	201 S Goode Rd	Dallas	75212	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-3700	502	33	15.2	91.8%	22 (4.4%)	153 (30.5%)	315 (62.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.4%)	32.4	3292^nd of 4675 public elementary schools	29.6%		26.8	3581^st of 4647 public elementary schools	22.9%	289	30.0	21.1	42.9		0.0	22.2	0.0	36.7	29.3	44.8	31.8	32.4	39.1	21.9	$3,996	$568	$3,428
Aia Lancaster Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	901 E Beltline Rd	Lancaster	75146	Dallas County	Accelerated Intermediate Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 227-2105	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Eastridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	725 E Ovilla Rd	Red Oak	75154	Ellis County	Red Oak Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 617-2266	510	33	15.4	61.8%	147 (28.8%)	99 (19.4%)	241 (47.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.5%)	52.7	1991^st of 4675 public elementary schools	57.4%		57	1754^th of 4647 public elementary schools	62.3%	237								57.1	44.9	46.7	41.4	46.6	47.6	23.8	$10,195	$1,208	$8,987
West Main Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	531 W Main St	Lancaster	75146	Dallas County	Lancaster Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 218-1551	603	40	15.2	84.9%	13 (2.2%)	392 (65.0%)	170 (28.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.6%)	43.3	2617^th of 4675 public elementary schools	44.0%		34.2	3140^th of 4647 public elementary schools	32.4%	523								46.7	36.3	51.6	30.0	35.6	58.2	18.2	$8,703	$872	$7,831
Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	303 Dick St	Palmer	75152	Ellis County	Palmer Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 449-3132	501	33	15.1	60.1%	232 (46.3%)	8 (1.6%)	247 (49.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	78.4	808^th of 4675 public elementary schools	82.7%		68.8	1217^th of 4647 public elementary schools	73.8%	409								61.4	63.4		49.4	59.4			$9,571	$887	$8,684
Red Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Valley Ridge Dr	Red Oak	75154	Ellis County	Red Oak Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 617-3523	528	34	15.4	64.4%	115 (21.8%)	192 (36.4%)	192 (36.4%)	12 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.0%)	59.5	1619^th of 4675 public elementary schools	65.4%		44.2	2518^th of 4647 public elementary schools	45.8%	899								40.2	41.2	58.8	35.4	42.7	71.1	38.1	$9,948	$915	$9,033
Wooden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Louise Ritter Blvd	Red Oak	75154	Ellis County	Red Oak Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 617-2977	504	35	14.5	63.5%	132 (26.2%)	40 (7.9%)	312 (61.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.6%)	60.7	1559^th of 4675 public elementary schools	66.7%		62.3	1495^th of 4647 public elementary schools	67.8%	64	60.0	57.1	20.0					50.0	49.5	50.0	43.1	51.0	68.2	25.0	$10,206	$1,037	$9,169

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Ferris Independent School District (Isd):

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Rank History for Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for all students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for At Risk students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Rank History for White students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

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