Matthews Elementary

Summary:

Matthews Elementary is a public elementary school located in Matthews, Missouri, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 141 students. The school is part of the New Madrid County R-I school district, which is ranked 302 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Matthews Elementary faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates (ranging from 17.3% to 43.3%), significantly below-average academic performance on MAP tests (only 13.4% of 4th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 23.2% for the district and 44.4% for the state), and an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (97.97% to 100%). The school's performance has declined significantly over the years, from a high ranking of 194 out of 1,052 Missouri elementary schools in 2018-2019 to a low ranking of 778 out of 906 in 2023-2024. While other nearby schools in the New Madrid County R-I district, such as Lilbourn Elementary and New Madrid Elementary, also struggle with low performance, Matthews Elementary consistently ranks lower and has worse outcomes.

The significant decline in performance, inconsistent results, and comparison to nearby schools suggest that Matthews Elementary faces unique challenges that need to be addressed. The extremely high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, coupled with the school's poor academic performance, raises concerns about educational equity and the ability of the school to effectively serve its high-needs student population. Targeted interventions and support may be necessary to help Matthews Elementary improve its outcomes and better serve its community.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

206 Story St
Matthews, MO 63867-0118

(573) 471-0077

District: New Madrid County R-I

SchoolDigger Rank:
778^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,765

Students who attend Matthews Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Central Middle School
High:	Central High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.5

Number of students: 144

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.1%

African American:

5.6%

Two or more races:

4.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Matthews Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Matthews Elementary ranks worse than 85.9% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the New Madrid County R-I School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.54. (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 Matthews Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the New Madrid County R-I School District. Racial makeup is: White (86.1%), African American (5.6%), two or more races (4.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the New Madrid County R-I School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Matthews Elementary is 11.5, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the New Madrid County R-I School District! (See more...)

Compare Matthews Elementary employs 12.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Matthews Elementary is $14,765, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the New Madrid County R-I School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Matthews Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Matthews Elementary 778^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Matthews Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

New Madrid County R-I:

SchoolDigger ranks New Madrid County R-I 302^nd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Matthews Elementary.

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Rank History for Matthews Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Matthews Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	44.08	659^th	1074	38.6%
2007	43.31	675^th	1080	37.5%
2008	68.37	267^th	1084	75.4%
2009	64.35	322^nd	1053	69.4%
2010	45.49	646^th	1066	39.4%
2011	64.30	371^st	1088	65.9%
2012	54.65	532^nd	1085	51.0%
2013	49.94	606^th	1108	45.3%
2014	14.10	988^th	1089	9.3%
2015	18.48	923^rd	1058	12.8%
2017	25.48	836^th	1032	19.0%
2018	55.38	461^st	1045	55.9%
2019	75.83	194^th	1052	81.6%
2021	93.22	33^rd	901	96.3%
2022	17.02	767^th	908	15.5%
2024	15.54	778^th	906	14.1%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Matthews Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	63.74	242^nd	887	72.7%
2019	86.09	50^th	907	94.5%
2021	99.68	5^th	574	99.1%
2022	39.37	323^rd	532	39.3%
2024	34.41	431^st	625	31.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Matthews Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	39.35	546^th	898	39.2%
2019	67.78	250^th	917	72.7%
2021	88.94	58^th	691	91.6%
2022	8.39	650^th	675	3.7%

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

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, September 8, 2012

Our Principle Mr. Philips is by far the best! My child had been going to Matthews Ele. since prek and is now in 1st grade, I don't have anything negative to say. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Matthews Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	290	290
1992	289	5	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	301
1993	273	9	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	284
1994	258	5	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	265
1995	262	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	265
1996	262	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	265
1997	260	3	0	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	267
1998	198	54	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	255
1999	196	49	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	248
2000	201	51	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2001	204	59	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	268
2002	196	45	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
2003	196	45	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
2004	172	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	172
2005	173	2	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	176
2006	178	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	179
2007	155	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	155
2008	150	3	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	156
2009	154	2	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	161
2010	154	5	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	167
2011	149	0	0	4	0	0	11	0	164
2012	138	3	0	10	0	0	0	0	151
2013	142	3	0	8	0	0	0	0	153
2014	142	4	0	9	0	0	0	0	155
2015	142	8	0	9	0	0	0	0	159
2016	156	15	0	6	0	0	0	0	177
2017	121	11	0	3	0	0	1	0	136
2018	136	12	0	5	0	0	0	0	153
2019	135	10	0	3	0	0	5	0	153
2020	131	12	0	5	0	0	2	0	150
2021	131	9	0	5	0	0	3	0	148
2022	131	8	0	5	0	0	4	0	148
2023	120	8	0	6	0	0	7	0	141
2024	124	8	0	5	0	0	7	0	144

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 Matthews Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	290	19.4	14.9	n/a
1992	301	20.7	14.5	42.2
1993	284	21.7	13.1	47.9
1994	265	21.3	12.4	53.2
1995	265	20.5	12.9	52.5
1996	265	20.5	12.9	52.5
1997	267	19.6	13.6	46.8
1998	255	21.8	11.7	63.1
1999	248	21.0	11.8	66.1
2000	253	20.8	12.2	58.1
2001	268	20.6	13.0	61.9
2002	241	20.9	11.5	62.7
2003	241	20.9	11.5	62.7
2004	172	15.4	11.2	59.9
2005	176	14.4	12.2	56.8
2006	179	14.4	12.4	52.5
2007	155	13.4	11.6	63.9
2008	156	12.5	12.5	51.9
2009	161	11.5	14.0	60.9
2010	167	11.5	14.5	57.5
2011	164	11.4	14.3	56.7
2012	151	11.6	12.9	56.3
2013	153	12.2	12.5	51.6
2014	155	11.0	14.0	69.7
2015	159	10.0	15.9	69.2
2016	177	10.0	17.7	79.7
2017	136	11.4	11.9	75
2018	153	9.9	15.4	75.2
2019	153	10.4	14.7	98
2020	150	10.4	14.4	98
2021	148	11.0	13.4	98
2022	148	12.4	11.9	98
2023	141	12.5	11.2	100
2024	144	12.5	11.5	100

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 Matthews Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	290	19.4	14.9	n/a
1992	301	20.7	14.5	42.2
1993	284	21.7	13.1	47.9
1994	265	21.3	12.4	53.2
1995	265	20.5	12.9	52.5
1996	265	20.5	12.9	52.5
1997	267	19.6	13.6	46.8
1998	255	21.8	11.7	63.1
1999	248	21.0	11.8	66.1
2000	253	20.8	12.2	58.1
2001	268	20.6	13.0	61.9
2002	241	20.9	11.5	62.7
2003	241	20.9	11.5	62.7
2004	172	15.4	11.2	59.9
2005	176	14.4	12.2	56.8
2006	179	14.4	12.4	52.5
2007	155	13.4	11.6	63.9
2008	156	12.5	12.5	51.9
2009	161	11.5	14.0	60.9
2010	167	11.5	14.5	57.5
2011	164	11.4	14.3	56.7
2012	151	11.6	12.9	56.3
2013	153	12.2	12.5	51.6
2014	155	11.0	14.0	69.7
2015	159	10.0	15.9	69.2
2016	177	10.0	17.7	79.7
2017	136	11.4	11.9	75
2018	153	9.9	15.4	75.2
2019	153	10.4	14.7	98
2020	150	10.4	14.4	98
2021	148	11.0	13.4	98
2022	148	12.4	11.9	98
2023	141	12.5	11.2	100
2024	144	12.5	11.5	100

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 Matthews Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,924 (16.1%)	$10,041 (83.9%)	$11,965
2020	$1,539 (12.6%)	$10,647 (87.4%)	$12,187
2021	$3,076 (24.2%)	$9,637 (75.8%)	$12,713
2022	$3,360 (22.8%)	$11,405 (77.2%)	$14,765

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Matthews 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 194^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 767^th of 908 Elementary schools	66%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Matthews Elementary)	81	26	55%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Madrid County R-I)	62.4	27.9	34.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	39.7	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Matthews Elementary)	37.5	15.8	21.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Madrid County R-I)	30.7	15.6	15.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.4	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Matthews Elementary)	91	16.7	74.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Madrid County R-I)	48	12.3	35.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Matthews Elementary)	45.5	22.2	23.3%
5th Grade Science (New Madrid County R-I)	26	16.9	9.1%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	153	141	7.8%
African American	10	8	20%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	3	6	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	135	120	11.1%
Two or More Races	5	7	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	98%	100%	2%

Schools Near Matthews Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Matthews Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	206 Story St	Matthews	63867	New Madrid County	New Madrid County R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 471-0077	144	13	11.5	100.0%	124 (86.1%)	8 (5.6%)	5 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.9%)	15.5	778^th of 906 public elementary schools	14.1%					(n/a)		13.4	17.5	26.2					$14,765	$3,360	$11,405
Wing Elementary	Public	1-4	1123 Gen George E Day Parkway	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Sikeston R-6	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 471-0615	367	30	12.2	100.0%	166 (45.2%)	145 (39.5%)	19 (5.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.3%)	20	733^rd of 906 public elementary schools	19.1%		16.2	764^th of 898 public elementary schools	14.9%	31	23.5	24.3			30.1	22.0			$9,335	$3,228	$6,107
Southeast Elementary	Public	1-4	2300 Ables Rd	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Sikeston R-6	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 472-0707	249	23	10.9	100.0%	127 (51.0%)	82 (32.9%)	11 (4.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	26 (10.4%)	22.6	709^th of 906 public elementary schools	21.7%		21.1	732^nd of 898 public elementary schools	18.5%	23	31.6	27.8			30.1	16.3			$10,291	$3,686	$6,605
Lee Hunter Elementary	Public	1-4	315 Baker Street	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Sikeston R-6	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 472-2200	355	25	14.4	99.7%	219 (61.7%)	98 (27.6%)	10 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.6%)	50.7	445^th of 906 public elementary schools	50.9%		50.5	451^st of 898 public elementary schools	49.8%	6	34.4	58.5			37.8	38.9			$9,379	$3,285	$6,095
Sikeston Kindergarten Center	Public	PK-K	1310 E Salcedo Rd	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Sikeston R-6	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 471-0653	362	34	10.7	100.0%	192 (53.0%)	116 (32.0%)	17 (4.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.9%)								(n/a)									$10,674	$1,961	$8,712
New Madrid Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	955 Us Hwy 61	New Madrid	63869	New Madrid County	New Madrid County R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 748-5568	250	21	12.0	100.0%	148 (59.2%)	83 (33.2%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.4%)	45.6	501^st of 906 public elementary schools	44.7%		12.2	803^rd of 898 public elementary schools	10.6%	302	44.1	34.6			48.7	30.7			$13,363	$2,776	$10,586
East Prairie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	510 Wilkinson St	East Prairie	63845	Mississippi County	East Prairie R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 649-3521	404	36	11.3	100.0%	370 (91.6%)	12 (3.0%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.0%)	43.9	520^th of 906 public elementary schools	42.6%		34	622^nd of 898 public elementary schools	30.7%	102	45.7	36.0			33.8				$8,879	$564	$8,316
Lilbourn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Lewis Ave	Lilbourn	63862	New Madrid County	New Madrid County R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 688-2593	240	20	12.1	100.0%	107 (44.6%)	97 (40.4%)	14 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.2%)	11.9	815^th of 906 public elementary schools	10.0%		8.6	839^th of 898 public elementary schools	6.6%	24		14.8	13.9	14.0	24.2	17.7	19.5		$13,979	$3,492	$10,487
Richland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	24456 State Hwy 114	Essex	63846	Stoddard County	Richland R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 283-5310	146	9	16.8	61.6%	135 (92.5%)	3 (2.1%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.4%)								(n/a)						90.8			$12,565	$1,332	$11,233
Scott County Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	20794 Us Hwy 61	Sikeston	63801	Scott County	Scott County Central	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 471-3511	166	17	9.8	89.8%	127 (76.5%)	19 (11.4%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (10.2%)	35.3	603^rd of 906 public elementary schools	33.4%		13.7	784^th of 898 public elementary schools	12.7%	181				33.5	25.0			31.3	$14,689	$1,499	$13,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Matthews Elementary

What schools do graduates of Matthews Elementary attend?

Students who attend Matthews Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Central Middle School
High : Central High School

Is Matthews Elementary a good school?

Matthews Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.1% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend Matthews Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 144 students attended Matthews Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Matthews Elementary?

Students at Matthews Elementary are 86% White, 6% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Matthews Elementary in?

New Madrid County R-I

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Missouri Department 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.