Memorial Elementary School

Summary:

Memorial Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Arcadia, Florida, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 793. The school is part of the Desoto District, which is ranked 67th out of 68 districts in Florida and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Memorial Elementary School shares a similar district and demographic profile with nearby schools like Nocatee Elementary and West Elementary, it consistently underperforms in key metrics. The school has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25.5% to 40%, compared to the state average and nearby schools. Additionally, its test scores are consistently lower than state and district averages across all grade levels and subjects, with only 33-54% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Math, compared to state averages of 53-60%.

Further, Memorial Elementary School has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73.25% to 81.59%, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools. However, the school has the lowest spending per student, ranging from $8,308 to $11,181, compared to the state average and nearby schools like Zolfo Springs Elementary ($11,274) and Nocatee Elementary ($14,673). This suggests that the school may be facing resource and equity challenges that could be contributing to its underperformance, which has been declining over the past several years, dropping from a 2-star rating to a 1-star rating.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

851 E Hickory St
Arcadia, FL 34266

(863) 494-0755

District: Desoto

SchoolDigger Rank:
1765^th of 2,256 Florida Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,181

Students who attend Memorial Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Desoto Middle School
High:	Desoto County High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.5

Number of students: 820

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

54.9%

White:

24.5%

African American:

16.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Memorial Elementary School ranks worse than 78.2% of elementary schools in Florida. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Desoto School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 25.09. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Memorial Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Desoto School District. Student population at Memorial Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (54.9%), White (24.5%), African American (16.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Memorial Elementary School is 19.5. 2 elementary schools in the Desoto School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Memorial Elementary School employs 42 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Memorial Elementary School is $11,181, which is the 2^nd highest among 3 elementary schools in the Desoto School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Desoto:

SchoolDigger ranks Desoto 67^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Memorial Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	FL State Percentile
2006	29.40	1230^th	1688	27.1%
2007	23.48	1446^th	1786	19.0%
2008	42.02	1097^th	1789	38.7%
2009	40.42	1192^nd	1847	35.5%
2010	55.34	923^rd	1919	51.9%
2011	35.70	1353^rd	1985	31.8%
2012	24.82	1568^th	1984	21.0%
2013	19.61	1737^th	2029	14.4%
2014	16.26	1836^th	2064	11.0%
2016	22.06	1689^th	2087	19.1%
2017	16.91	1869^th	2112	11.5%
2018	18.99	1807^th	2118	14.7%
2019	24.33	1735^th	2182	20.5%
2021	32.72	1498^th	2247	33.3%
2022	20.57	1842^nd	2219	17.0%
2023	30.68	1595^th	2240	28.8%
2024	25.09	1765^th	2256	21.8%

See the entire list of Florida Elementary School Rankings!

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

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Memorial Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	387	206	7	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	650
1989	403	199	7	103	0	n/a	n/a	0	712
1990	481	163	4	68	0	n/a	n/a	0	716
1991	514	164	4	99	1	n/a	n/a	0	782
1992	500	196	3	104	1	n/a	n/a	0	804
1993	501	206	4	118	1	n/a	n/a	0	830
1994	512	224	3	132	2	n/a	n/a	0	873
1995	489	251	4	190	1	n/a	n/a	0	935
1996	489	251	4	190	1	n/a	n/a	0	935
1997	449	203	4	203	1	n/a	n/a	0	860
1998	430	186	6	192	0	n/a	n/a	0	814
1999	426	173	4	215	0	n/a	n/a	0	818
2000	385	148	7	230	0	n/a	n/a	0	770
2001	362	142	7	252	0	n/a	n/a	0	763
2002	383	171	5	267	0	n/a	n/a	0	826
2003	383	171	5	267	0	n/a	n/a	0	826
2004	386	195	7	297	1	n/a	n/a	0	886
2005	373	164	7	334	0	n/a	n/a	0	878
2006	398	148	5	382	0	n/a	n/a	0	933
2007	349	153	5	409	0	n/a	n/a	23	939
2008	312	127	8	410	2	n/a	n/a	22	881
2009	266	118	10	417	2	n/a	n/a	17	830
2010	246	111	7	445	4	n/a	n/a	19	832
2011	261	104	9	466	4	0	17	0	861
2012	262	103	14	486	4	1	20	0	890
2013	245	101	9	507	4	1	16	0	883
2014	260	120	4	505	3	1	21	0	914
2015	258	121	5	567	2	2	27	0	982
2016	296	149	8	537	4	2	25	0	1021
2017	273	157	7	520	5	1	28	0	991
2018	249	167	9	477	4	0	23	0	929
2019	267	169	11	517	4	0	21	0	989
2020	287	159	11	521	2	0	22	0	1002
2021	240	137	7	476	3	1	22	0	886
2022	227	127	3	474	2	1	30	0	864
2023	189	124	3	446	2	0	29	0	793
2024	201	135	4	450	0	1	29	0	820

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 Memorial Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	650	39.0	16.6	57.5
1989	712	40.0	17.8	48.6
1990	716	40.0	17.9	52.8
1991	782	46.0	17.0	68.5
1992	804	46.0	17.4	51.4
1993	830	45.0	18.4	52.5
1994	873	49.0	17.8	38
1995	935	50.0	18.7	58
1996	935	50.0	18.7	58
1997	860	46.0	18.7	63
1998	814	46.0	17.7	45.6
1999	818	46.0	17.8	70.3
2000	770	48.0	16.0	70.4
2001	763	50.0	15.3	70.1
2002	826	54.0	15.3	75.3
2003	826	54.0	15.3	75.3
2004	886	59.0	15.0	76.3
2005	878	59.0	14.9	74.6
2006	933	64.0	14.6	72.7
2007	939	61.0	15.4	75.7
2008	881	65.0	13.6	82.4
2009	830	66.9	13.8	84.6
2010	832	53.0	15.7	88.8
2011	861	72.0	11.9	87.8
2012	890	58.0	15.3	87.1
2013	883	54.0	16.3	89.9
2014	914	58.0	15.7	81.2
2015	982	58.0	16.9	70.3
2016	1021	65.0	15.7	76.2
2017	991	61.0	16.2	71.4
2018	929	51.0	18.2	5.9
2019	989	47.0	21.0	72
2020	1002	53.0	18.9	68.2
2021	886	45.0	19.6	73.3
2022	864	45.0	19.2	73.7
2023	793	44.0	18.0	81.6
2024	820	42.0	19.5	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 Memorial Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	650	39.0	16.6	57.5
1989	712	40.0	17.8	48.6
1990	716	40.0	17.9	52.8
1991	782	46.0	17.0	68.5
1992	804	46.0	17.4	51.4
1993	830	45.0	18.4	52.5
1994	873	49.0	17.8	38
1995	935	50.0	18.7	58
1996	935	50.0	18.7	58
1997	860	46.0	18.7	63
1998	814	46.0	17.7	45.6
1999	818	46.0	17.8	70.3
2000	770	48.0	16.0	70.4
2001	763	50.0	15.3	70.1
2002	826	54.0	15.3	75.3
2003	826	54.0	15.3	75.3
2004	886	59.0	15.0	76.3
2005	878	59.0	14.9	74.6
2006	933	64.0	14.6	72.7
2007	939	61.0	15.4	75.7
2008	881	65.0	13.6	82.4
2009	830	66.9	13.8	84.6
2010	832	53.0	15.7	88.8
2011	861	72.0	11.9	87.8
2012	890	58.0	15.3	87.1
2013	883	54.0	16.3	89.9
2014	914	58.0	15.7	81.2
2015	982	58.0	16.9	70.3
2016	1021	65.0	15.7	76.2
2017	991	61.0	16.2	71.4
2018	929	51.0	18.2	5.9
2019	989	47.0	21.0	72
2020	1002	53.0	18.9	68.2
2021	886	45.0	19.6	73.3
2022	864	45.0	19.2	73.7
2023	793	44.0	18.0	81.6
2024	820	42.0	19.5	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 Memorial Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$1,119 (13.8%)	$6,968 (86.2%)	$8,087
2019	$1,015 (12.6%)	$7,009 (87.4%)	$8,024
2020	$1,079 (13.0%)	$7,229 (87.0%)	$8,308
2021	$1,409 (15.1%)	$7,922 (84.9%)	$9,331
2022	$2,575 (25.7%)	$7,442 (74.3%)	$10,017
2023	$3,470 (31.0%)	$7,711 (69.0%)	$11,181

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Memorial 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 1735^th of 2182 Elementary schools	Ranks 1595^th of 2240 Elementary schools	8.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Memorial Elementary School)	35	38	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Desoto)	34	37	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	53	5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Memorial Elementary School)	40	41	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Desoto)	40	43	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Florida)	62	58	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Memorial Elementary School)	44	36	8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Desoto)	37	35	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	58	57	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Memorial Elementary School)	66	52	14%
4th Grade Mathematics (Desoto)	51	45	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	64	61	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Memorial Elementary School)	41	30	11%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Desoto)	41	30	11%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	56	55	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Memorial Elementary School)	50	37	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Desoto)	43	29	14%
5th Grade Mathematics (Florida)	60	52	8%
5th Grade Science (Memorial Elementary School)	30	34	4%
5th Grade Science (Desoto)	36	29	7%
5th Grade Science (Florida)	53	51	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	989	793	19.8%
African American	169	124	26.6%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	11	3	72.7%
Hispanic	517	446	13.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	267	189	29.2%
Two or More Races	21	29	38.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72%	81.6%	9.6%

Schools Near Memorial Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)			FAST Math (2024)			Statewide Science Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Memorial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	851 E Hickory St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-0755	820	42	19.5	73.5%	201 (24.5%)	135 (16.5%)	450 (54.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (3.5%)	25.1	1765^th of 2256 public elementary schools	21.8%		30.7	1595^th of 2240 public elementary schools	28.8%	170	33.0	31.0	34.0	44.0	49.0	54.0	42.0	$11,181	$3,470	$7,711
Teen Parent Pk Child Care Program	Public	PK	310 W Whidden St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 993-1333	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	304 W Imogene St	Arcadia	34266	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-3155	684	39	17.5	72.8%	288 (42.1%)	67 (9.8%)	305 (44.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.2%)	35.9	1460^th of 2256 public elementary schools	35.3%		20.8	1880^th of 2240 public elementary schools	16.1%	420	44.0	29.0	43.0	61.0	46.0	65.0	43.0	$11,157	$2,859	$8,299
Nocatee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4846 SW Shores Ave	Nocatee	34268	DeSoto County	Desoto	No	No	No	No	(863) 494-4511	416	22	18.9	81.3%	106 (25.5%)	29 (7.0%)	261 (62.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.3%)	30.3	1611^th of 2256 public elementary schools	28.6%		28.1	1657^th of 2240 public elementary schools	26.0%	46	40.0	34.0	45.0	47.0	50.0	51.0	45.0	$14,673	$3,856	$10,816
Deep Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	26900 Harbor View Rd	Pt Charlotte	33983	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7535	767	50	15.3	55.5%	502 (65.4%)	78 (10.2%)	122 (15.9%)	14 (1.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.3%)	62.6	808^th of 2256 public elementary schools	64.2%		67.7	669^th of 2240 public elementary schools	70.1%	139	62.0	51.0	67.0	64.0	62.0	60.0	53.0	$11,212	$1,409	$9,802
Atwater Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4701 Huntsville Ave	North Port	34288	Sarasota County	Sarasota	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 257-2317	853	61	13.9	66.4%	528 (61.9%)	83 (9.7%)	164 (19.2%)	8 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	66 (7.7%)	71	618^th of 2256 public elementary schools	72.6%		69.8	632^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	71.8%	14	79.0	62.0	57.0	76.0	64.0	53.0	63.0	$12,288	$1,581	$10,707
Kingsway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	23300 Quasar Blvd	Port Charlotte	33980	Charlotte County	Charlotte	No	No	No	Yes	(941) 255-7590	587	38	15.4	62.9%	326 (55.5%)	77 (13.1%)	124 (21.1%)	15 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	42 (7.2%)	36.4	1448^th of 2256 public elementary schools	35.8%		50.5	1083^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	51.7%	365	49.0	53.0	54.0	40.0	54.0	39.0	38.0	$13,378	$1,664	$11,713
Zolfo Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3215 School House Rd	Zolfo Springs	33890	Hardee County	Hardee	No	No	No	Yes	(863) 773-5473	550	38	14.4	72.2%	202 (36.7%)	11 (2.0%)	321 (58.4%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.0%)	35.5	1474^th of 2256 public elementary schools	34.7%		37.9	1387^th of 2240 public elementary schools	38.1%	87	51.0	49.0	34.0	56.0	52.0	43.0	40.0	$11,274	$2,746	$8,529

Frequently Asked Questions about Memorial Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Memorial Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Desoto Middle School
High : Desoto County High School

What district is Memorial Elementary School in?

Desoto

What is the racial makeup of Memorial Elementary School?

Students at Memorial Elementary School are 55% Hispanic, 25% White, 16% African American, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Memorial Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 820 students attended Memorial Elementary School.

Is Memorial Elementary School a good school?

Memorial Elementary School ranks in the bottom 21.8% of Florida elementary schools.

Rate Memorial 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 Florida 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.