Summary:
In zip code 71654, there is one elementary school, McGehee Elementary School, serving grades PK through 5 with 547 students in McGehee, Arkansas, an area where 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
McGehee Elementary School shows a clear split in academic performance. In Mathematics, the school outperforms the state average, with 46.7% of students proficient compared to 44.1% statewide. However, it struggles significantly in English Language Arts (33.7% vs. 39.4% state), Reading (32.7% vs. 40.4% state), and Science (34.1% vs. 44.0% state). A notable concern is a "5th grade cliff," where proficiency rates drop dramatically between 4th and 5th grade in all subjects except math. For example, 4th grade Science proficiency at 44.3% falls to just 21.9% in 5th grade. The school's state ranking has also declined over three years, from the 50th percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 36th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026.
Despite spending $15,151 per student—a high figure for a rural school—overall academic performance is below state averages in three of four core subjects. The school is part of the McGehee School District, which ranks 193 out of 251 districts in Arkansas (23rd percentile). Interestingly, McGehee Elementary School outperforms its district in every subject, suggesting it is a relative strength within a lower-performing district. The student-teacher ratio is 14.7:1, and the high poverty rate (100% free/reduced lunch) is a critical factor that often requires additional support services, which may explain the elevated per-student spending.
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