Ralph Downs Elementary School

Summary:

Ralph Downs Elementary School is a public elementary school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, serving 409 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Putnam City School District, which is ranked 298 out of 342 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ralph Downs Elementary has shown mixed academic performance compared to the Putnam City district and the state of Oklahoma. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics were generally higher than the district averages, but lower than the state averages. For example, in 3rd grade ELA, Ralph Downs had 49% proficiency compared to 38% for the district and 51% for the state. The school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 71.39% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Ralph Downs Elementary to nearby schools within the Putnam City district, some interesting patterns emerge. Northridge Elementary and Dennis Elementary consistently outperform Ralph Downs in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency, while Tulakes Elementary and Rollingwood Elementary have significantly lower proficiency rates. Ralph Downs Elementary has a higher per-student spending of $8,985, but this does not appear to be translating into significantly better academic outcomes compared to nearby schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

7501 West Hefner Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73162-3162

(405) 721-4431

District: Putnam City

SchoolDigger Rank:
308^th of 389 Oklahoma Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,283

Students who attend Ralph Downs Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hefner Middle School
High:	Putnam City North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.4

Number of students: 409

Racial breakdown:

African American:

30.6%

White:

29.1%

Hispanic:

16.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 71.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ralph Downs Elementary School ranks worse than 79.2% of elementary schools in Oklahoma. It also ranks 3^rd among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Putnam City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.56. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Ralph Downs Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (30.6%), White (29.1%), Hispanic (16.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 71.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ralph Downs Elementary School is 14.4, which is the 4^th best among 11 elementary schools in the Putnam City School District. (See more...)

Compare Ralph Downs Elementary School employs 28.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ralph Downs Elementary School is $11,283, which is the 4^th highest among 11 elementary schools in the Putnam City School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Putnam City:

SchoolDigger ranks Putnam City 140^th of 144 Oklahoma school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Ralph Downs Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Ralph Downs Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	OK State Percentile
2009	60.42	331^st	840	60.6%
2010	65.35	274^th	845	67.6%
2011	73.15	177^th	846	79.1%
2015	78.13	159^th	957	83.4%
2016	60.24	202^nd	498	59.4%
2017	55.93	169^th	407	58.5%
2018	48.98	199^th	406	51.0%
2019	49.80	189^th	411	54.0%
2021	60.19	207^th	646	68.0%
2022	48.18	157^th	323	51.4%
2023	68.39	68^th	276	75.4%
2024	28.56	308^th	389	20.8%

See the entire list of Oklahoma Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ralph Downs Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	OK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	60.61	175^th	506	65.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Ralph Downs Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	OK State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	57.74	132^nd	403	67.2%

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

Data source: test scores: Oklahoma State 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: Oklahoma State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The only problems we had at this school were the way the principal handled situations. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Ralph Downs Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1991	305	36	9	7	7	n/a	n/a	364
1992	440	66	22	10	7	n/a	n/a	545
1993	460	78	26	7	7	n/a	n/a	578
1994	418	71	22	16	2	n/a	n/a	529
1995	416	74	28	13	3	n/a	n/a	534
1996	416	74	28	13	3	n/a	n/a	534
1997	403	69	28	14	4	n/a	n/a	518
1998	394	68	26	12	4	n/a	n/a	504
1999	403	73	31	16	2	n/a	n/a	525
2000	390	68	36	15	5	n/a	n/a	514
2001	354	78	46	21	10	n/a	n/a	509
2002	387	94	28	23	17	n/a	n/a	549
2003	387	94	28	23	17	n/a	n/a	549
2004	358	95	22	14	9	n/a	n/a	498
2005	359	106	35	16	10	n/a	n/a	526
2006	347	109	36	15	9	n/a	n/a	516
2007	345	128	41	25	15	n/a	n/a	554
2008	327	103	37	28	14	n/a	n/a	509
2009	300	111	41	31	15	n/a	n/a	498
2010	311	119	47	29	23	n/a	n/a	529
2011	288	119	46	25	15	2	22	517
2012	276	101	37	42	12	2	30	500
2013	271	104	47	53	9	1	42	527
2014	229	126	51	54	9	0	42	511
2015	218	140	43	51	15	1	41	509
2016	196	131	39	49	13	1	42	471
2017	174	126	29	41	9	0	42	421
2018	166	129	28	41	7	0	54	425
2019	161	138	21	43	4	2	41	410
2020	153	123	22	57	6	2	43	406
2021	137	109	19	43	5	4	43	360
2022	142	105	21	59	6	4	48	385
2023	134	128	18	55	6	7	68	416
2024	119	125	18	68	11	8	60	409

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 Ralph Downs Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	364	20.8	17.5	n/a
1992	545	25.6	21.2	4
1993	578	30.4	19.0	10.2
1994	529	31.0	17.1	11.7
1995	534	31.5	17.0	9
1996	534	31.5	17.0	9
1997	518	29.4	17.6	11.6
1998	504	30.2	16.7	11.9
1999	525	31.1	16.9	18.1
2000	514	29.8	17.2	19.1
2001	509	28.3	18.0	22.2
2002	549	30.9	17.8	21.1
2003	549	30.9	17.8	21.1
2004	498	25.4	19.6	26.5
2005	526	25.7	20.5	26.2
2006	516	28.0	18.4	30.4
2007	554	29.7	18.7	29.4
2008	509	29.1	17.5	35
2009	498	26.7	18.7	39
2010	529	29.4	17.9	51.6
2011	517	30.4	17.0	52.4
2012	500	31.5	15.8	56.4
2013	527	30.6	17.2	58.4
2014	511	30.4	16.8	58.3
2015	509	32.0	15.9	60.5
2016	471	31.0	15.1	59
2017	421	27.5	15.2	58.4
2018	425	27.5	15.4	57.2
2019	410	27.5	14.9	55.1
2020	406	26.9	15.0	56.7
2021	360	27.2	13.2	61.1
2022	385	28.0	13.7	48.6
2023	416	28.8	14.3	72.8
2024	409	28.3	14.4	71.4

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 Ralph Downs Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	364	20.8	17.5	n/a
1992	545	25.6	21.2	4
1993	578	30.4	19.0	10.2
1994	529	31.0	17.1	11.7
1995	534	31.5	17.0	9
1996	534	31.5	17.0	9
1997	518	29.4	17.6	11.6
1998	504	30.2	16.7	11.9
1999	525	31.1	16.9	18.1
2000	514	29.8	17.2	19.1
2001	509	28.3	18.0	22.2
2002	549	30.9	17.8	21.1
2003	549	30.9	17.8	21.1
2004	498	25.4	19.6	26.5
2005	526	25.7	20.5	26.2
2006	516	28.0	18.4	30.4
2007	554	29.7	18.7	29.4
2008	509	29.1	17.5	35
2009	498	26.7	18.7	39
2010	529	29.4	17.9	51.6
2011	517	30.4	17.0	52.4
2012	500	31.5	15.8	56.4
2013	527	30.6	17.2	58.4
2014	511	30.4	16.8	58.3
2015	509	32.0	15.9	60.5
2016	471	31.0	15.1	59
2017	421	27.5	15.2	58.4
2018	425	27.5	15.4	57.2
2019	410	27.5	14.9	55.1
2020	406	26.9	15.0	56.7
2021	360	27.2	13.2	61.1
2022	385	28.0	13.7	48.6
2023	416	28.8	14.3	72.8
2024	409	28.3	14.4	71.4

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 Ralph Downs Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,985
2020	$9,432
2021	$10,757
2022	$11,744
2023	$11,283

Data source: Oklahoma Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ralph Downs 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 189^th of 411 Elementary schools	Ranks 68^th of 276 Elementary schools	21.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts I (Ralph Downs Elementary School)	45	33	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts I (Putnam City)	31	19	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts I (Oklahoma)	39	29	10%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ralph Downs Elementary School)	56	43	13%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Putnam City)	41	25	16%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Oklahoma)	43	33	10%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ralph Downs Elementary School)	36	36
4th Grade Mathematics (Putnam City)	39	22	17%
4th Grade Mathematics (Oklahoma)	38	35	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts I (Ralph Downs Elementary School)	42	53	11%
5th Grade English Language Arts I (Putnam City)	31	21	10%
5th Grade English Language Arts I (Oklahoma)	35	28	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ralph Downs Elementary School)	44	50	6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Putnam City)	29	24	5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Oklahoma)	30	27	3%
5th Grade Science (Ralph Downs Elementary School)	54	54
5th Grade Science (Putnam City)	38	26	12%
5th Grade Science (Oklahoma)	38	35	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	410	416	1.5%
African American	138	128	7.2%
American Indian	4	6	50%
Asian	21	18	14.3%
Hispanic	43	55	27.9%
Pacific Islander	2	7	250%
White	161	134	16.8%
Two or More Races	41	68	65.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	55.1%	72.8%	17.7%

Schools Near Ralph Downs Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				OSTP English Language Arts I (2024)			OSTP Mathematics (2024)			OSTP 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	OSTP English Language Arts I 3rd Grade	OSTP English Language Arts I 4th Grade	OSTP English Language Arts I 5th Grade	OSTP Mathematics 3rd Grade	OSTP Mathematics 4th Grade	OSTP Mathematics 5th Grade	OSTP Science 5th Grade	Total
Ralph Downs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7501 West Hefner Road	Oklahoma City	73162	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 721-4431	409	28	14.4	71.4%	119 (29.1%)	125 (30.6%)	68 (16.6%)	18 (4.4%)	11 (2.7%)	8 (2.0%)	60 (14.7%)	28.6	308^th of 389 public elementary schools	20.8%		68.4	68^th of 276 public elementary schools	75.4%	240	49.0		52.0	35.0	35.0	45.0		$11,283
Harvest Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8201 Northwest 104th Street	Oklahoma City	73162	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 721-2013	408	26	15.7	71.8%	148 (36.3%)	114 (27.9%)	62 (15.2%)	14 (3.4%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (16.2%)	27.1	313^th of 389 public elementary schools	19.5%		43.3	153^rd of 276 public elementary schools	44.6%	160	51.0		55.0	33.0	30.0		44.0	$9,728
Dennis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11800 James L Dennis Drive	Oklahoma City	73162	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 722-6510	500	33	15.1	58.6%	201 (40.2%)	120 (24.0%)	62 (12.4%)	35 (7.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (15.4%)	60.9	140^th of 389 public elementary schools	64.0%		57.9	99^th of 276 public elementary schools	64.1%	41	70.0	59.0	61.0	55.0	41.0	54.0	53.0	$10,091
Will Rogers Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8201 Northwest 122nd Street	Oklahoma City	73142	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 722-9797	384	25	15.1	77.6%	103 (26.8%)	146 (38.0%)	52 (13.5%)	10 (2.6%)	13 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (15.6%)								(n/a)	56.0	43.0						$12,726
Wiley Post Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6920 West Britton Road	Oklahoma City	73132	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 721-8123	664	35	19.2	91.7%	138 (20.8%)	251 (37.8%)	95 (14.3%)	58 (8.7%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	114 (17.2%)								(n/a)			27.0		20.0			$9,359
Northridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8501 Northwest 82nd Street	Oklahoma City	73132	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 722-5560	707	43	16.5	83.7%	189 (26.7%)	193 (27.3%)	137 (19.4%)	85 (12.0%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (13.6%)	45.7	213^th of 389 public elementary schools	45.2%		40.4	170^th of 276 public elementary schools	38.4%	43	60.0	58.0	52.0	54.0	42.0	37.0		$9,425
Tulakes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6600 Galaxie Drive	Oklahoma City	73132	Oklahoma County	Putnam City	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 721-4360	565	27	21.0	95.0%	74 (13.1%)	315 (55.8%)	92 (16.3%)	5 (0.9%)	7 (1.2%)	4 (0.7%)	68 (12.0%)								(n/a)				16.0				$9,275
Dove Science Academy Elementary School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	5537 N W Expressway	Warr Acres	73132	Oklahoma County	Dove Schools Of Okc (Charter)	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 605-5566	513	26	19.7	73.1%	107 (20.9%)	171 (33.3%)	171 (33.3%)	18 (3.5%)	14 (2.7%)	3 (0.6%)	29 (5.7%)	77.6	63^rd of 389 public elementary schools	83.8%		54	110^th of 276 public elementary schools	60.1%	47	71.0	65.0	67.0	59.0	61.0	64.0	54.0	$8,011
Spring Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	15400 North Rockwell	Oklahoma City	73013	Oklahoma County	Deer Creek	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(405) 340-0530	513	33	15.5	31.2%	219 (42.7%)	71 (13.8%)	68 (13.3%)	74 (14.4%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (14.4%)								(n/a)	77.0			73.0				$7,926
Stone Ridge Elementary School	Public	1-4	10000 West Memorial Road	Yukon	73099	Canadian County	Piedmont	No	(n/a)	No	No	(405) 373-4227	638	36	17.6	31.0%	384 (60.2%)	56 (8.8%)	65 (10.2%)	27 (4.2%)	44 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	61 (9.6%)	78.7	55^th of 389 public elementary schools	85.9%		74.2	46^th of 276 public elementary schools	83.3%	9	74.0	62.0		67.0	58.0			$7,772

Frequently Asked Questions about Ralph Downs Elementary School

How many students attend Ralph Downs Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 409 students attended Ralph Downs Elementary School.

What district is Ralph Downs Elementary School in?

Putnam City

Is Ralph Downs Elementary School a good school?

Ralph Downs Elementary School ranks in the bottom 20.8% of Oklahoma elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Ralph Downs Elementary School?

Students at Ralph Downs Elementary School are 31% African American, 29% White, 17% Hispanic, 15% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 3% American Indian, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Ralph Downs Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ralph Downs Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hefner Middle School
High : Putnam City North High 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 Oklahoma State 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.