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McRae Elementary School

Q: Is McRae Elementary School a good school?

McRae Elementary School ranks 183 rd of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-3

183^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 491 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Arkansas elementary schools

Summary

McRae Elementary School in Searcy, AR, serves 445 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd grade and is part of the Searcy School District, which holds a 3-star rating. This school stands out for its exceptional and consistent performance in Mathematics, with 56.6% of students proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—well above the state average of 44.1% and the district average of 51.2%. Over the past three years, McRae has outperformed the state in Math by a wide margin, making it a clear "math school" that provides a strong academic foundation for its young learners.

Within the Searcy district, McRae sits as a "middle performer" between two nearby peers. It significantly outperforms Sidney Deener Elementary School, which has a 1-star rating and proficiency rates roughly 15-25 percentage points lower across subjects. However, it is outpaced by Westside Elementary School, a 4-star school that posts higher scores in English Language Arts and Science. Interestingly, McRae has a lower Free/Reduced Lunch rate (60.45%) than many nearby schools, such as Sidney Deener (78.38%) and Kensett Elementary School (90.14%), suggesting it serves a comparatively more affluent student population. The school also spends more per student ($13,128) than Westside ($11,772) and White County Central Elementary School ($11,413), yet has larger class sizes (18.7:1 student-teacher ratio), indicating that higher spending may not directly translate to smaller classes or higher test scores.

McRae has a history of strong potential, having achieved a 5-star, 91st-percentile ranking in 2015-2016 and a 4-star, 79th-percentile ranking in 2022-2023. However, its recent dip to the 63rd percentile suggests challenges in maintaining top-tier performance, possibly related to post-pandemic recovery. While McRae provides a solid start for PK-3 students, nearby White County Central Elementary School posts even higher scores in upper elementary grades, indicating that academic trajectories may accelerate more rapidly in that district. For parents, McRae offers a strong math foundation and a supportive environment, but its inconsistent ranking history and middle position within the district are worth considering when comparing options like Westside or White County Central.

445

Students ?

18.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,128

Per pupil spending ?

60.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

609 W McRae
Searcy, AR 72143

(501) 268-3936

District: Searcy School District

Students who attend McRae Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ahlf Junior High School
	Southwest Middle School
High:	Searcy High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.6%

Hispanic:

11.2%

Two or more races:

9.0%

See top rated Arkansas elementary schools

Compare McRae Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 91st percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arkansas average (48% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Above the Arkansas median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg48%

Arkansas avg42%

183^rd of 491

Arkansas public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 28 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arkansas Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Searcy School District

77^th of 251Searcy School District among Arkansas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arkansas percentile	Rating
2026	63.4	183 of 491	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.0	222 of 495	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.8	194 of 497	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.3	101 of 492	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.1	185 of 487	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.5	152 of 496	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.6	153 of 488	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.6	178 of 480	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	51.4	243 of 485	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	83.5	44 of 494	91.1%	★★★★★
2011	47.3	297 of 471	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.9	256 of 457	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.9	154 of 445	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.9	139 of 439	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	79.3	64 of 440	85.5%	★★★★☆
2006	60.5	180 of 402	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.3	127 of 411	69.1%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Arkansas (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics57%+12 vs state

Science48%+3 vs state

English Language Arts46%+6 vs state

Reading44%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near McRae Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2026)					ATLAS Reading (2026)					ATLAS Mathematics (2026)					ATLAS Science (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McRae Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	609 W McRae	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 268-3936	445	24	18.7	60.4%	323 (72.6%)	28 (6.3%)	50 (11.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.0%)	63.4	183^rd of 491 public elementary schools	62.7%		57	222^nd of 495 public elementary schools	55.2%	39	45.9				45.9	43.9				43.9	56.6				56.6	47.5				47.5	$13,128	$2,338	$10,789
Sidney Deener Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	163 Cloverdale	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 268-3850	421	21	20.4	78.4%	217 (51.5%)	86 (20.4%)	52 (12.4%)	10 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (13.3%)	28.8	383^rd of 491 public elementary schools	22.0%		23.5	397^th of 495 public elementary schools	19.8%	14	30.7				30.7	29.5				29.5	29.9				29.9	41.3				41.3	$13,397	$2,176	$11,221
Westside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	512 Country Club Rd	Searcy	72143	White County	Searcy School District	No	No	No	No	(501) 268-0111	398	21	19.3	46.2%	304 (76.4%)	22 (5.5%)	36 (9.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.3%)	70.9	138^th of 491 public elementary schools	71.9%		88.2	49^th of 495 public elementary schools	90.1%	89	48.7				48.7	48.7				48.7	50.4				50.4	59.1				59.1	$11,772	$1,132	$10,641
Kensett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	701 W Dandridge St	Kensett	72082	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 742-3221	294	19	15.1	90.1%	162 (55.1%)	46 (15.6%)	55 (18.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.9%)								(n/a)																					$13,494	$2,501	$10,994
Judsonia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	916 Judson Ave	Judsonia	72081	White County	Riverview School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 729-5196	307	20	15.4	77.2%	245 (79.8%)	7 (2.3%)	35 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.2%)	36.7	334^th of 491 public elementary schools	32.0%		37.8	324^th of 495 public elementary schools	34.5%	10	22.1	39.4	22.5	32.5	29.7	28.8	43.4	22.5	40.3	34.2	40.7	42.1	33.3	35.1	37.7	32.2	46.0	23.6	46.8	37.7	$13,533	$2,245	$11,288
White County Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3259 Hwy 157	Judsonia	72081	White County	White County Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 729-4292	560	38	14.5	70.4%	516 (92.1%)	2 (0.4%)	32 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	72	132^nd of 491 public elementary schools	73.1%		74.1	116^th of 495 public elementary schools	76.6%	16	27.4	39.4	69.3	69.9	52.1	29.1	43.3	67.8	71.2	53.4	35.5	61.2	80.6	69.9	62.1	46.8	44.8	56.4	63.1	53.1	$11,413	$1,314	$10,099
H.L. Lubker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	103 West Park	Bald Knob	72010	White County	Bald Knob School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 724-3714	517	34	15.2	66.3%	461 (89.2%)	12 (2.3%)	25 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.5%)	41.8	299^th of 491 public elementary schools	39.1%		48.3	267^th of 495 public elementary schools	46.1%	32	36.1	38.8	31.3		35.2	35.0	35.8	31.3		33.9	40.9	61.2	36.6		45.2	43.3	44.7	28.0		38.4	$11,544	$2,047	$9,497
Pangburn Elementary School	Public	K-6	1100 Short St	Pangburn	72121	White County	Pangburn School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 728-4230	401	28	14.4	64.8%	381 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	71.9	133^rd of 491 public elementary schools	72.9%		71.6	127^th of 495 public elementary schools	74.3%	6	56.8	43.4	42.8	43.9	46.7	54.9	43.3	44.7	43.9	46.7	58.8	47.1	48.2	63.4	53.7	60.8	54.7	57.2	58.6	57.7	$12,688	$1,819	$10,869
Beebe Early Childhood	Public	K-1	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	439	30	14.4	64.5%	348 (79.3%)	19 (4.3%)	27 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.8%)								(n/a)																					$10,012	$1,084	$8,928
Beebe Elementary School	Public	2-4	1201 W Center St	Beebe	72012	White County	Beebe School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 882-5463	904	49	18.4	63.7%	764 (84.5%)	37 (4.1%)	45 (5.0%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.9%)	55.3	228^th of 491 public elementary schools	53.6%		58.7	205^th of 495 public elementary schools	58.6%	23	31.7	45.3			38.7	32.9	46.4			39.9	48.5	57.9			53.3	46.7	45.3			45.9	$11,373	$1,346	$10,028

Frequently Asked Questions about McRae Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of McRae Elementary School?

Students at McRae Elementary School are 73% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 6% African American.

How many students attend McRae Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 445 students attended McRae Elementary School.

Is McRae Elementary School a good school?

McRae Elementary School ranks 183^rd of 491 Arkansas elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is McRae Elementary School in?

Searcy School District

What schools do graduates of McRae Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Ahlf Junior High School
Middle : Southwest Middle School
High : Searcy High School

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Latest Arkansas data All new data »

2025–26 ATLAS test scoresJul 13, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2019–20 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2017–18 through 2024–25 dropout ratesJan 6, 2026

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