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Nell Holcomb Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-8

Summary

Nell Holcomb Elementary is a public school serving grades K-8 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, with a student population of 241. The school has faced some challenges in recent years, with a mixed performance ranking between 274 and 683 out of over 1,000 Missouri elementary schools, and a current ranking of 627 out of 906 schools with a 2 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key issues at Nell Holcomb Elementary is its consistently lower test scores compared to the state average. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 8th grade proficiency rates are projected to be 30.5% in ELA and 43.4% in Science, compared to the state averages of 42.2% and 39.2% respectively. Additionally, the school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 10.6% to 16.0% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state's target of 10% or less. The school also serves a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 29.63% to 40.98% over the past few years.

When comparing Nell Holcomb Elementary to nearby schools in the Jackson R-II district, the differences become more apparent. For example, in 2024-2025, East Elementary, a school within the Jackson R-II district, is projected to have significantly higher proficiency rates in Math (63.3% vs. 50.4%) and ELA (60% vs. 44.9%) for 3rd grade students compared to Nell Holcomb Elementary. While Nell Holcomb has seen an increase in spending per student over the past few years, this increased funding has not yet translated into improved academic outcomes for the school.

249

Students ?

8.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,018

Per pupil spending ?

36.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6547 State Hwy 177
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701-8690

(573) 334-3644

District: Nell Holcomb R-IV

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.7%

African American:

10.4%

Hispanic:

2.4%

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Compare Nell Holcomb Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2013 → 31st in 2024

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (32% vs 41% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 44 percentile points since 2013

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Missouri avg41%

252^nd of 438

Missouri public middle schools ?

Bottom 42%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 36% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2024	33.6	627 of 906	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.8	643 of 908	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.3	392 of 901	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.7	683 of 1052	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	65.4	346 of 1045	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	52.3	501 of 1032	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	59.2	374 of 865	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.9	286 of 1058	73.0%	★★★★☆
2014	57.5	451 of 1089	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	70.5	274 of 1108	75.3%	★★★★☆
2012	64.8	375 of 1085	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	54.3	530 of 1088	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.7	381 of 1066	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	43.3	677 of 1053	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.3	599 of 1084	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.2	435 of 1080	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	50.3	551 of 1074	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	34.1	672 of 907	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	50.9	429 of 887	51.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2024	29.8	494 of 668	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.1	736 of 917	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	63.1	302 of 898	66.4%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	252 of 438	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	287 of 451	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.3	178 of 459	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	183 of 459	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.1	274 of 587	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.4	69 of 552	87.5%	★★★★☆
2017	42.4	352 of 568	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.9	372 of 585	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	40.2	429 of 633	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	43.4	429 of 649	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	54.8	300 of 623	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	53.4	312 of 625	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.5	271 of 614	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	69.5	143 of 601	76.2%	★★★★☆
2008	61.5	208 of 624	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	72.1	101 of 624	83.8%	★★★★☆
2006	56.4	225 of 619	63.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	63.8	121 of 482	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.8	49 of 422	88.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2024	25.3	302 of 379	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.2	168 of 385	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.1	170 of 381	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.4	258 of 527	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.8	100 of 479	79.1%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

White (2024)26th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)26th percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2019)75th percentile+22 vs school

White (2024)20th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

Science43%+4 vs state

English Language Arts30%-12 vs state

Mathematics27%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Nell Holcomb Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MAP Mathematics (2025)				MAP Science (2025)	MAP English Language Arts (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MAP Science 8th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Nell Holcomb Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	6547 State Hwy 177	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Nell Holcomb R-IV	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-3644	249	29	8.5	36.9%	211 (84.7%)	26 (10.4%)	6 (2.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)								(n/a)			20.0	33.4	43.4			30.5	$16,018	$1,069	$14,949
Blanchard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1829 N Sprigg St	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 335-3030	326	28	11.6	100.0%	160 (49.1%)	83 (25.5%)	25 (7.7%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (15.3%)	80	159^th of 900 public elementary schools	82.3%		84.1	116^th of 906 public elementary schools	87.2%	43	51.3	58.5				62.8	58.5		$12,022	$912	$11,110
Alma Schrader Elementary	Public	K-4	1360 Randol	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	No	(573) 335-5310	332	31	10.7	100.0%	225 (67.8%)	48 (14.5%)	12 (3.6%)	8 (2.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (11.4%)	63.6	324^th of 900 public elementary schools	64.0%		52.5	424^th of 906 public elementary schools	53.2%	100	57.3	38.4				57.3	34.9		$13,526	$1,432	$12,093
Franklin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1550 Themis	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 335-5456	241	26	9.3	100.0%	77 (32.0%)	109 (45.2%)	18 (7.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (14.5%)	52.7	429^th of 900 public elementary schools	52.3%		48.7	465^th of 906 public elementary schools	48.7%	36	42.0	59.0				32.0	40.8		$14,121	$1,103	$13,018
Clippard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2880 Hopper Rd	Cape Girardeau	63701	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-5720	383	38	10.1	100.0%	128 (33.4%)	130 (33.9%)	54 (14.1%)	19 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (13.6%)	34.9	619^th of 900 public elementary schools	31.2%		33.2	632^nd of 906 public elementary schools	30.2%	13	38.3	30.6				33.3	30.5		$16,061	$1,486	$14,575
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 S Minnesota	Cape Girardeau	63703	Cape Girardeau County	Cape Girardeau 63	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 334-2030	494	46	10.8	100.0%	136 (27.5%)	223 (45.1%)	50 (10.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	81 (16.4%)	14.9	773^rd of 900 public elementary schools	14.1%		14.9	783^rd of 906 public elementary schools	13.6%	10	17.2	16.2				22.8	26.4		$14,198	$1,184	$13,014
East Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	455 N. Lacey Street	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	No	(573) 243-5271	726	48	15.1	30.6%	652 (89.8%)	16 (2.2%)	19 (2.6%)	19 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.8%)	88.6	85^th of 900 public elementary schools	90.6%		93.5	33^rd of 906 public elementary schools	96.4%	52	63.3	69.3				60.0	66.2		$11,847	$1,024	$10,823
North Elementary	Public	K-4	10730 State Hwy W	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9590	249	17	14.8	40.6%	229 (92.0%)	7 (2.8%)	7 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	71.9	231^st of 900 public elementary schools	74.3%					(n/a)	58.0	51.6				48.7			$11,151	$771	$10,380
South Elementary	Public	K-4	1701 S Hope St	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9575	433	31	14.1	47.1%	364 (84.1%)	15 (3.5%)	24 (5.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.5%)	59.9	359^th of 900 public elementary schools	60.1%		55.3	394^th of 906 public elementary schools	56.5%	35	44.3	54.7				39.7	48.1		$10,991	$674	$10,316
Orchard Drive Elementary	Public	K-4	1402 Orchard Dr	Jackson	63755	Cape Girardeau County	Jackson R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 243-9555	404	29	13.9	52.0%	368 (91.1%)	10 (2.5%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	68	274^th of 900 public elementary schools	69.6%		65.4	297^th of 906 public elementary schools	67.2%	23	50.4	56.5				44.9	50.5		$10,595	$779	$9,816

Frequently Asked Questions about Nell Holcomb Elementary

How many students attend Nell Holcomb Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 249 students attended Nell Holcomb Elementary.

What district is Nell Holcomb Elementary in?

Nell Holcomb R-IV

What is the racial makeup of Nell Holcomb Elementary?

Students at Nell Holcomb Elementary are 85% White, 10% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

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