Is McDonald Elementary School a good school?

Yes. McDonald Elementary School ranks in the top 7.9% of Nebraska elementary schools.

How many students attend McDonald Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 245 students attended McDonald Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of McDonald Elementary School?

Students at McDonald Elementary School are 84% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of McDonald Elementary School attend?

Students who attend McDonald Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Adams Middle School Middle : Madison Middle School High : North Platte High School

McDonald Elementary School

Summary:

McDonald Elementary School is a public elementary school located in North Platte, Nebraska, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 234 students. The school is part of the North Platte Public Schools district, which is ranked 138 out of 182 districts in Nebraska and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McDonald Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Nebraska, ranking 34th out of 428 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students consistently outperform the district and state averages in NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) tests for English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 77.78% of 3rd graders, 85.71% of 4th graders, and 74.36% of 5th graders at McDonald Elementary were proficient or better in NSCAS/English Language Arts, compared to the district averages of 58.3%, 59.26%, and 42.37%, respectively.

McDonald Elementary has consistently strong performance across different student subgroups, including female students, male students, white students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. However, the school has relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.1% to 27.6% in recent school years, which is higher than the state average. While McDonald Elementary excels academically, addressing the chronic absenteeism issue could be an area for further improvement.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

601 Mc Donald Rd
North Platte, NE 69101

(308) 535-7140

District: North Platte Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
34^th of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,570

Students who attend McDonald Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Adams Middle School
	Madison Middle School
High:	North Platte High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.3

Number of students: 245

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.7%

Hispanic:

8.2%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 42%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare McDonald Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details McDonald Elementary School ranks better than 92.1% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks first among 7 ranked elementary schools in the North Platte Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.72. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (83.7%), Hispanic (8.2%), two or more races (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 42% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the North Platte Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McDonald Elementary School is 19.3, which is the highest among 9 elementary schools in the North Platte Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare McDonald Elementary School employs 12.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McDonald Elementary School is $12,570. 7 elementary schools in the North Platte Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McDonald Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks McDonald Elementary School 34^th of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See McDonald Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

North Platte Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks North Platte Public Schools 138^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for McDonald Elementary School?

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Rank History for McDonald Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at McDonald Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	67.74	119^th	418	71.5%
2007	77.43	60^th	430	86.0%
2008	62.34	192^nd	478	59.8%
2009	59.97	209^th	471	55.6%
2010	68.23	116^th	502	76.9%
2011	60.99	177^th	473	62.6%
2012	74.39	88^th	480	81.7%
2013	67.72	129^th	485	73.4%
2014	62.29	169^th	483	65.0%
2015	60.07	192^nd	488	60.7%
2016	60.92	167^th	480	65.2%
2017	71.55	125^th	459	72.8%
2018	78.64	72^nd	450	84.0%
2019	78.27	82^nd	452	81.9%
2021	80.41	62^nd	442	86.0%
2022	74.30	90^th	457	80.3%
2023	83.38	53^rd	459	88.5%
2024	86.72	34^th	428	92.1%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McDonald Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2021	85.42	16^th	264	93.9%
2022	76.35	34^th	259	86.9%
2023	91.09	8^th	312	97.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at McDonald Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	79.69	43^rd	341	87.4%
2019	65.29	109^th	349	68.8%
2021	74.61	64^th	318	79.9%
2022	71.56	81^st	337	76.0%
2023	72.19	86^th	349	75.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at McDonald Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	66.61	99^th	347	71.5%
2019	75.51	67^th	367	81.7%
2021	76.94	55^th	328	83.2%
2022	71.45	86^th	356	75.8%
2023	86.89	28^th	366	92.3%

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

Rank History for White students at McDonald Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	69.42	93^rd	391	76.2%
2019	74.00	75^th	391	80.8%
2021	70.14	82^nd	368	77.7%
2022	62.93	118^th	388	69.6%
2023	76.82	62^nd	385	83.9%
2024	79.49	41^st	261	84.3%

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

Data source: test scores: Nebraska Department of 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: Nebraska Department of Education

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Enrollment information for McDonald Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	278	1	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	284
1989	285	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	285
1990	279	1	0	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	288
1991	278	1	2	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	291
1992	264	2	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	278
1993	271	3	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	282
1994	242	2	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	257
1995	240	1	2	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	253
1996	240	1	2	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	253
1997	234	0	1	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	245
1998	246	0	1	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	261
1999	231	1	1	3	1	n/a	n/a	11	248
2000	216	1	3	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	236
2001	212	1	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	230
2002	193	1	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	211
2003	193	1	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	211
2004	214	0	0	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	228
2005	204	0	2	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	220
2006	222	4	1	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	247
2007	228	1	1	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	246
2008	245	3	3	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	272
2009	240	4	1	18	3	n/a	n/a	0	266
2010	219	7	1	19	4	n/a	n/a	0	250
2011	224	1	1	24	0	0	13	0	263
2012	214	1	2	22	0	0	8	0	247
2013	220	1	2	27	0	0	8	0	258
2014	216	1	1	25	0	1	6	0	250
2015	233	1	1	31	1	1	7	0	275
2016	240	1	1	33	3	0	4	0	282
2017	218	0	1	30	3	0	5	0	257
2018	233	5	0	23	3	0	7	0	271
2019	219	9	0	18	4	0	6	0	256
2020	217	10	0	20	5	0	10	0	262
2021	209	7	0	11	3	0	8	0	238
2022	216	0	0	13	1	2	11	0	243
2023	203	0	3	14	2	1	11	0	234
2024	205	2	5	20	1	1	11	0	245

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 McDonald Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	284	12.6	22.5	18
1989	285	12.6	22.6	17.2
1990	288	13.6	21.1	17.7
1991	291	13.8	21.0	18.2
1992	278	13.7	20.2	19.8
1993	282	13.1	21.5	20.2
1994	257	13.1	19.6	23.7
1995	253	13.6	18.6	3.6
1996	253	13.6	18.6	3.6
1997	245	13.6	18.0	2.9
1998	261	13.6	19.2	6.9
1999	248	13.6	18.2	11.8
2000	236	14.1	16.7	8.1
2001	230	14.6	15.8	17
2002	211	12.6	16.7	19
2003	211	12.6	16.7	19
2004	228	13.6	16.8	21.9
2005	220	12.6	17.5	19.1
2006	247	14.4	17.2	21.9
2007	246	15.1	16.3	18.3
2008	272	15.2	17.9	21.7
2009	266	14.6	18.2	18
2010	250	14.0	17.7	26
2011	263	13.8	18.9	27
2012	247	13.5	18.2	26.7
2013	258	15.5	16.6	24
2014	250	13.5	18.5	24.8
2015	275	14.0	19.6	25.1
2016	282	14.0	20.1	22.7
2017	257	14.5	17.7	26.8
2018	271	14.6	18.5	24.7
2019	256	14.6	17.5	21.9
2020	262	14.6	17.9	27.9
2021	238	13.7	17.3	32.8
2022	243	12.7	19.0	35
2023	234	12.7	18.3	35.9
2024	245	12.6	19.3	42

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 McDonald Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	284	12.6	22.5	18
1989	285	12.6	22.6	17.2
1990	288	13.6	21.1	17.7
1991	291	13.8	21.0	18.2
1992	278	13.7	20.2	19.8
1993	282	13.1	21.5	20.2
1994	257	13.1	19.6	23.7
1995	253	13.6	18.6	3.6
1996	253	13.6	18.6	3.6
1997	245	13.6	18.0	2.9
1998	261	13.6	19.2	6.9
1999	248	13.6	18.2	11.8
2000	236	14.1	16.7	8.1
2001	230	14.6	15.8	17
2002	211	12.6	16.7	19
2003	211	12.6	16.7	19
2004	228	13.6	16.8	21.9
2005	220	12.6	17.5	19.1
2006	247	14.4	17.2	21.9
2007	246	15.1	16.3	18.3
2008	272	15.2	17.9	21.7
2009	266	14.6	18.2	18
2010	250	14.0	17.7	26
2011	263	13.8	18.9	27
2012	247	13.5	18.2	26.7
2013	258	15.5	16.6	24
2014	250	13.5	18.5	24.8
2015	275	14.0	19.6	25.1
2016	282	14.0	20.1	22.7
2017	257	14.5	17.7	26.8
2018	271	14.6	18.5	24.7
2019	256	14.6	17.5	21.9
2020	262	14.6	17.9	27.9
2021	238	13.7	17.3	32.8
2022	243	12.7	19.0	35
2023	234	12.7	18.3	35.9
2024	245	12.6	19.3	42

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 McDonald Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$266 (2.9%)	$8,090 (87.5%)	$9,241
2020	$450 (4.6%)	$8,510 (86.4%)	$9,854
2021	$589 (5.4%)	$9,279 (84.7%)	$10,958
2022	$741 (6.4%)	$9,479 (81.5%)	$11,625
2023	$895 (7.1%)	$10,103 (80.4%)	$12,570

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McDonald 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 82^nd of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 53^rd of 459 Elementary schools	6.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (McDonald Elementary School)	62	81	19%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (North Platte Public Schools)	59	67	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (McDonald Elementary School)	80	81	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (North Platte Public Schools)	67	70	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (McDonald Elementary School)	72	71	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (North Platte Public Schools)	56	42	14%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (McDonald Elementary School)	43	83	40%
4th Grade Mathematics (North Platte Public Schools)	54	59	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (McDonald Elementary School)	86	70	16%
5th Grade English Language Arts (North Platte Public Schools)	53	46	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	48	56	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (McDonald Elementary School)	77	86	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (North Platte Public Schools)	63	58	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	54	65	11%
5th Grade Science (McDonald Elementary School)	95	86	9%
5th Grade Science (North Platte Public Schools)	77	71	6%
5th Grade Science (Nebraska)	68	76	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	256	234	8.6%
African American	9	0	100%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	0	3
Hispanic	18	14	22.2%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	219	203	7.3%
Two or More Races	6	11	83.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.9%	35.9%	14%

Schools Near McDonald Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McDonald Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Mc Donald Rd	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 535-7140	245	13	19.3	42.0%	205 (83.7%)	2 (0.8%)	20 (8.2%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.5%)	86.7	34^th of 428 public elementary schools	92.1%		83.4	53^rd of 459 public elementary schools	88.5%	19	$12,570	$895	$10,103
Cody Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2000 W 2nd St	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 535-7132	244	16	15.0		168 (68.9%)	5 (2.0%)	52 (21.3%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (6.6%)	29.9	325^th of 428 public elementary schools	24.1%		36.7	321^st of 459 public elementary schools	30.1%	4	$15,205	$1,714	$11,680
Washington Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 W 3rd	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 535-7142	237	15	15.4		176 (74.3%)	4 (1.7%)	38 (16.0%)	5 (2.1%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	36.8	301^st of 428 public elementary schools	29.7%		44.3	276^th of 459 public elementary schools	39.9%	25	$14,065	$1,628	$10,740
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	700 E 3rd St	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 535-7136	322	21	15.5		190 (59.0%)	8 (2.5%)	109 (33.9%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	14.8	381^st of 428 public elementary schools	11.0%		20.3	382^nd of 459 public elementary schools	16.8%	1	$16,093	$2,239	$11,983
Eisenhower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3900 West A St	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 535-7134	229	15	15.1		181 (79.0%)	11 (4.8%)	22 (9.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.1%)	53.5	239^th of 428 public elementary schools	44.2%		55.9	209^th of 459 public elementary schools	54.5%	30	$13,256	$894	$10,616
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 W 9th St	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 535-7138	269	18	15.2		187 (69.5%)	3 (1.1%)	66 (24.5%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	32.9	319^th of 428 public elementary schools	25.5%		28.4	359^th of 459 public elementary schools	21.8%	40	$14,213	$1,827	$10,645
Buffalo Early Learning Center	Public	PK	1600 N Buffalo Bill Ave	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 535-7130	100	6	15.5		66 (66.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (26.0%)	2 (2.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.0%)								(n/a)
Osgood Elementary School	Public	PK	495 W State Farm Rd	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 535-7144	21	2	14.0	38.1%	16 (76.2%)	1 (4.8%)	3 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)								(n/a)	$196,639	$00	$00
Lake Maloney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	848 E Correction Line Rd	North Platte	69101	Lincoln County	North Platte Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 532-9392	125	7	17.1	28.8%	116 (92.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	71.5	111^th of 428 public elementary schools	74.1%		60.4	186^th of 459 public elementary schools	59.5%	75	$15,541	$895	$12,927
Hershey Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	301 S Lincoln	Hershey	69143	Lincoln County	Hershey Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 368-5572	303	20	15.4	33.7%	279 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	71.9	110^th of 428 public elementary schools	74.3%		71.6	124^th of 459 public elementary schools	73.0%	14	$16,185	$941	$13,448

McDonald Elementary School

McDonald Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

North Platte Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for McDonald Elementary School

Rank History for all students at McDonald Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McDonald Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at McDonald Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at McDonald Elementary School

Rank History for White students at McDonald Elementary School

Enrollment information for McDonald Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McDonald Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio McDonald Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for McDonald Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on McDonald Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near McDonald Elementary School