Is Murphy Elementary a good school?

Murphy Elementary ranks 521 st of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Murphy Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 432 students attended Murphy Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Murphy Elementary?

Students at Murphy Elementary are 75% White, 13% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

Murphy Elementary

Summary:

Murphy Elementary is a public elementary school located in High Ridge, Missouri, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 463 students. It is part of the Northwest R-I School District, which is ranked 129 out of 386 districts in Missouri and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Murphy Elementary has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking over the past 10 years, ranging from 256 out of 865 Missouri elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 659 out of 1,052 in 2018-2019, its recent performance has been concerning. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.7% to 26.5%, significantly higher than the state average and nearby schools like High Ridge Elementary (19.7%) and Brennan Woods Elementary (19.7%). Additionally, Murphy Elementary's academic performance, as measured by MAP test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages, with only 25.2% of 5th-grade students proficient or better in Mathematics and 24.6% in Science, compared to the Northwest R-I district's 42.5% and 33.2%, respectively, and the state's 38.4% and 40.8%.

Further analysis reveals that Murphy Elementary has a higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 47.52% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, compared to 30.56% at Brennan Woods Elementary and 38.57% at High Ridge Elementary. This, along with the school's declining performance and challenges with specific student subgroups, suggests that there may be opportunities for Murphy Elementary to learn from the practices and strategies of its higher-performing counterparts within the Northwest R-I School District.

Detail:

Public K-5

2101 Valley Dr
High Ridge, MO 63049-2655

(636) 326-0577

District: Northwest R-I

SchoolDigger Rank:
521^st of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,329

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 432

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.2%

Hispanic:

13.0%

Two or more races:

8.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.7%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Murphy Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Murphy Elementary ranks worse than 57.5% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks last among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Northwest R-I School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 43.83. (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 Racial makeup is: White (75.2%), Hispanic (13%), two or more races (8.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Murphy Elementary is 13.3, which is the 2^nd best among 6 elementary schools in the Northwest R-I School District. (See more...)

Compare Murphy Elementary employs 32.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Murphy Elementary is $11,329, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Northwest R-I School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Murphy Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Murphy Elementary 521^st of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Murphy Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Northwest R-I:

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest R-I 129^th of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Murphy Elementary.

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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	MO State Percentile
2006	83.55	94^th	1074	91.2%
2007	84.71	80^th	1080	92.6%
2008	76.76	172^nd	1084	84.1%
2009	83.28	120^th	1053	88.6%
2010	75.91	199^th	1066	81.3%
2011	76.37	194^th	1088	82.2%
2012	70.89	273^rd	1085	74.8%
2013	65.48	345^th	1108	68.9%
2014	62.51	379^th	1089	65.2%
2015	69.36	302^nd	1058	71.5%
2016	69.64	256^th	865	70.4%
2017	62.09	388^th	1032	62.4%
2018	55.53	457^th	1045	56.3%
2019	39.92	659^th	1052	37.4%
2021	56.25	393^rd	901	56.4%
2022	48.19	475^th	908	47.7%
2023	42.81	535^th	898	40.4%
2024	43.83	521^st	906	42.5%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murphy Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	37.48	621^st	887	30.0%
2019	38.38	619^th	907	31.8%
2021	62.15	149^th	574	74.0%
2022	62.00	144^th	532	72.9%
2023	50.73	274^th	611	55.2%
2024	54.24	246^th	625	60.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Murphy Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	19.76	45^th	45	0.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Murphy Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	50.94	430^th	898	52.1%
2019	30.27	684^th	917	25.4%
2021	45.62	363^rd	691	47.5%
2022	37.69	443^rd	675	34.4%
2023	29.14	500^th	673	25.7%
2024	35.21	451^st	668	32.5%

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:
No reviews have been submitted!

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
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	698	698
1992	651	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	654
1993	655	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	657
1994	610	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	613
1995	647	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	648
1996	647	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	648
1997	622	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	622
1998	647	2	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	651
1999	540	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	544
2000	532	1	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	536
2001	534	0	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	536
2002	487	2	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
2003	487	2	6	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
2004	450	3	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
2005	427	3	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	436
2006	439	1	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	450
2007	413	2	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	426
2008	390	1	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2009	385	1	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2010	396	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
2011	398	4	0	2	0	1	6	0	411
2012	476	3	0	3	1	0	8	0	491
2013	470	8	1	19	2	0	8	0	508
2014	435	8	2	28	4	0	8	0	485
2015	411	9	4	31	2	0	14	0	471
2016	430	15	2	29	1	0	17	0	494
2017	393	6	1	35	1	0	30	0	466
2018	402	11	2	38	1	0	40	0	494
2019	397	11	4	42	0	0	34	0	488
2020	411	10	4	52	0	1	28	0	506
2021	373	10	4	58	0	0	25	0	470
2022	365	9	3	61	1	0	30	0	469
2023	359	7	6	58	2	0	31	0	463
2024	325	6	7	56	0	0	38	0	432

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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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	698	34.6	20.1	n/a
1992	654	32.6	20.0	17.9
1993	657	32.6	20.2	16.7
1994	613	35.6	17.2	14.7
1995	648	36.0	18.0	25.5
1996	648	36.0	18.0	25.5
1997	622	36.5	17.0	16.6
1998	651	35.5	18.3	16
1999	544	33.0	16.5	0
2000	536	35.0	15.3	27.6
2001	536	35.0	15.3	26.9
2002	496	33.0	15.0	29.6
2003	496	33.0	15.0	29.6
2004	456	30.3	15.0	32.5
2005	436	29.8	14.6	36.2
2006	450	30.8	14.6	35.1
2007	426	29.7	14.3	34.3
2008	397	30.6	13.0	35
2009	390	27.5	14.2	37.7
2010	398	28.7	13.8	43.7
2011	411	28.2	14.5	48.2
2012	491	32.5	15.0	49.3
2013	508	34.2	14.8	50.6
2014	485	33.1	14.6	49.9
2015	471	33.0	14.2	50.1
2016	494	32.0	15.4	44.7
2017	466	30.7	15.1	38.2
2018	494	33.0	14.9	41.5
2019	488	34.2	14.2	37.5
2020	506	34.2	14.7	42.5
2021	470	37.8	12.4	29.8
2022	469	38.2	12.2	46.5
2023	463	34.4	13.4	47.5
2024	432	32.2	13.3	47.7

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

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	698	34.6	20.1	n/a
1992	654	32.6	20.0	17.9
1993	657	32.6	20.2	16.7
1994	613	35.6	17.2	14.7
1995	648	36.0	18.0	25.5
1996	648	36.0	18.0	25.5
1997	622	36.5	17.0	16.6
1998	651	35.5	18.3	16
1999	544	33.0	16.5	0
2000	536	35.0	15.3	27.6
2001	536	35.0	15.3	26.9
2002	496	33.0	15.0	29.6
2003	496	33.0	15.0	29.6
2004	456	30.3	15.0	32.5
2005	436	29.8	14.6	36.2
2006	450	30.8	14.6	35.1
2007	426	29.7	14.3	34.3
2008	397	30.6	13.0	35
2009	390	27.5	14.2	37.7
2010	398	28.7	13.8	43.7
2011	411	28.2	14.5	48.2
2012	491	32.5	15.0	49.3
2013	508	34.2	14.8	50.6
2014	485	33.1	14.6	49.9
2015	471	33.0	14.2	50.1
2016	494	32.0	15.4	44.7
2017	466	30.7	15.1	38.2
2018	494	33.0	14.9	41.5
2019	488	34.2	14.2	37.5
2020	506	34.2	14.7	42.5
2021	470	37.8	12.4	29.8
2022	469	38.2	12.2	46.5
2023	463	34.4	13.4	47.5
2024	432	32.2	13.3	47.7

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$128 (1.3%)	$9,606 (98.7%)	$9,734
2020	$464 (4.9%)	$8,911 (95.0%)	$9,376
2021	$774 (7.6%)	$9,444 (92.4%)	$10,219
2022	$1,020 (9.0%)	$10,310 (91.0%)	$11,329

Data source: Missouri 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 659^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 535^th of 898 Elementary schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)	31.4	34.4	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Northwest R-I)	50.3	46.1	4.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Murphy Elementary)	41.2	39.8	1.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Northwest R-I)	49.7	46.5	3.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)	52.6	33.4	19.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Northwest R-I)	53.8	50.7	3.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Murphy Elementary)	54.6	31.5	23.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Northwest R-I)	54.8	46.1	8.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Murphy Elementary)	35.3	46.5	11.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Northwest R-I)	47.5	46.2	1.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Murphy Elementary)	31	31
5th Grade Science (Northwest R-I)	44.4	36.8	7.6%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Murphy Elementary)	38.6	38	0.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Northwest R-I)	50.6	42.5	8.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	47.1	44.1	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	488	463	5.1%
African American	11	7	36.4%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	4	6	50%
Hispanic	42	58	38.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	397	359	9.6%
Two or More Races	34	31	8.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.5%	47.5%	10%

Schools Near Murphy 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Murphy Elementary	Public	K-5	2101 Valley Dr	High Ridge	63049	Jefferson County	Northwest R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 326-0577	432	32	13.3	47.7%	325 (75.2%)	6 (1.4%)	56 (13.0%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.8%)	43.8	521^st of 906 public elementary schools	42.5%		42.8	535^th of 898 public elementary schools	40.4%	14	35.6	46.5	25.2	24.6	42.8	47.0	35.1	$11,329	$1,020	$10,310
Brennan Woods Elementary	Public	K-5	4630 Brennan Rd	High Ridge	63049	Jefferson County	Northwest R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 677-3400	486	31	15.5	43.4%	424 (87.2%)	5 (1.0%)	28 (5.8%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	65.2	300^th of 906 public elementary schools	66.9%		66.1	295^th of 898 public elementary schools	67.1%	5	54.3	63.8	41.8	31.3	53.1	53.0	40.6	$10,805	$664	$10,142
Kellison Elementary	Public	K-5	1626 Hawkins Rd	Fenton	63026	St. Louis County	Rockwood R-VI	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 891-6700	377	27	13.7	20.2%	316 (83.8%)	23 (6.1%)	8 (2.1%)	13 (3.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	74.4	200^th of 906 public elementary schools	77.9%		71.8	223^rd of 898 public elementary schools	75.2%	23	56.2	59.9	62.4	54.1	43.6	47.2	48.6	$12,698	$308	$12,389
Bowles Elementary	Public	K-5	501 Bowles Ave	Fenton	63026	St. Louis County	Rockwood R-VI	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 891-6775	264	20	13.5	19.3%	207 (78.4%)	18 (6.8%)	13 (4.9%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.6%)	72.2	233^rd of 906 public elementary schools	74.3%		75.3	183^rd of 898 public elementary schools	79.6%	50	37.1	78.7	53.3	48.2				$15,559	$324	$15,235
George Guffey Elementary	Public	K-5	400 13th St	Fenton	63026	St. Louis County	Fox C-6	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 343-7662	514	38	13.4	41.6%	387 (75.3%)	34 (6.6%)	38 (7.4%)	32 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.1%)	82.4	133^rd of 906 public elementary schools	85.3%		75.8	178^th of 898 public elementary schools	80.2%	45	57.0	57.4	54.9	52.5	58.1	68.4	56.2	$10,154	$625	$9,529
Stanton Elementary	Public	K-5	1430 Flora Del Dr	Fenton	63026	St. Louis County	Rockwood R-VI	No	No	No	No	(636) 891-6750	318	22	14.2	7.5%	264 (83.0%)	13 (4.1%)	10 (3.1%)	16 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.4%)	81.8	139^th of 906 public elementary schools	84.7%		82.7	122^nd of 898 public elementary schools	86.4%	17	49.1	74.5	54.4	50.8	50.8	71.6	56.3	$12,993	$292	$12,701
High Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	2901 High Ridge Blvd	High Ridge	63049	Jefferson County	Northwest R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 677-3996	354	29	12.0	52.0%	315 (89.0%)	3 (0.8%)	16 (4.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.4%)	53.4	411^th of 906 public elementary schools	54.6%		48	479^th of 898 public elementary schools	46.7%	68	33.9	58.4	46.0	19.2	39.2	52.8	44.4	$13,043	$1,662	$11,380
Meramec Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	1340 W Outer 21 Rd	Arnold	63010	Jefferson County	Fox C-6	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 296-4385	400	35	11.3	56.8%	360 (90.0%)	3 (0.8%)	20 (5.0%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)	72.2	231^st of 906 public elementary schools	74.5%		76.8	168^th of 898 public elementary schools	81.3%	63	44.2	64.2	64.4	46.7	32.7		60.6	$11,658	$909	$10,749
Uthoff Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	1600 Uthoff Dr	Fenton	63026	St. Louis County	Rockwood R-VI	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 891-6725	427	31	13.8	17.6%	362 (84.8%)	17 (4.0%)	18 (4.2%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	74.2	203^rd of 906 public elementary schools	77.6%		75.7	179^th of 898 public elementary schools	80.1%	24	52.2	56.0	63.6	55.0	39.4			$11,823	$299	$11,524
Valley Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Main St	Valley Park	63088	St. Louis County	Valley Park	No	No	No	Yes	(636) 923-3500	389	28	13.7	33.4%	263 (67.6%)	46 (11.8%)	34 (8.7%)	17 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	71.4	238^th of 906 public elementary schools	73.7%		57.5	380^th of 898 public elementary schools	57.7%	142	54.6	62.4	44.7	39.6	56.8		46.5	$14,373	$930	$13,443

Murphy Elementary

Murphy Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Northwest R-I:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Murphy Elementary

Rank History for all students at Murphy Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Murphy Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Murphy Elementary

Rank History for White students at Murphy Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Murphy Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Murphy Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Murphy Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Murphy Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Murphy Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Murphy Elementary