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Malden Lower Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

689^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 900 Missouri Elementary Schools

Better than 23% of Missouri elementary schools

Summary

Malden Lower Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Malden, Missouri, with 449 students. The school is part of the Malden R-I school district, which is ranked 325 out of 367 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Malden Lower Elementary faces significant challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.5% to 23.9% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than nearby schools like Qulin Elementary (17.9%), Central Elementary (8.1%), and Southwest Elementary (8.1%). The school's test scores are also consistently below the state averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts across all grade levels.

Additionally, Malden Lower Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 99.37% to 100.45% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools. While the school spends more per student ($11,602 in 2021-2022) compared to the state average, this does not seem to translate into better academic outcomes. Addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach to support the school's students and improve academic performance.

424

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,313

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

601 Burkhart St
Malden, MO 63863-1445

(573) 276-5791

District: Malden R-I

Students who attend Malden Lower Elementary usually attend:

High:

Malden High

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.0%

African American:

30.4%

Two or more races:

9.7%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Malden Lower Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2015 → 23rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Missouri average (27% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg27%

Missouri avg42%

689^th of 900

Missouri public elementary schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 35% (2015) to bottom 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Missouri Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

325^th of 367Malden R-I among Missouri 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	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	26.1	689 of 900	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	687 of 906	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.4	705 of 898	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.3	651 of 908	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.1	659 of 901	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.0	760 of 1052	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.0	624 of 1045	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.7	647 of 1032	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.2	572 of 865	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.6	685 of 1058	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	79.6	161 of 1089	85.2%	★★★★☆
2013	79.2	156 of 1108	85.9%	★★★★☆
2012	73.9	226 of 1085	79.2%	★★★★☆
2011	66.7	337 of 1088	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	72.2	254 of 1066	76.2%	★★★★☆
2009	53.8	507 of 1053	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	50.6	552 of 1084	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	35.6	803 of 1080	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	29.2	869 of 1074	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	60.0	47 of 190	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	29.8	150 of 191	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	44.5	93 of 185	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.1	92 of 184	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.2	53 of 163	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.4	97 of 250	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.3	137 of 243	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2019	28.4	224 of 302	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	51.1	280 of 638	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.6	269 of 625	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.6	244 of 611	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.7	119 of 532	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.4	163 of 574	71.6%	★★★★☆
2019	49.7	437 of 907	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.6	232 of 887	73.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Missouri percentile	Rating
2025	21.6	554 of 666	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	556 of 668	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.2	605 of 673	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.1	542 of 675	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.3	542 of 691	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	698 of 917	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.9	545 of 898	39.3%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)75th percentile+52 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+33 vs school

Disabled (2019)26th percentile~ school

White (2025)17th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Missouri (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts32%-12 vs state

Mathematics22%-19 vs state

5.0

1 rating

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4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Malden Lower 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 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Malden Lower Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Burkhart St	Malden	63863	Dunklin County	Malden R-I	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 276-5791	424	35	12.0	100.0%	229 (54.0%)	129 (30.4%)	23 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (9.7%)	26.1	689^th of 900 public elementary schools	23.4%		26	687^th of 906 public elementary schools	24.2%	2	30.3	27.7	8.1			32.3	27.7	34.9		$13,313	$2,006	$11,306
Bernie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	121 S Spiker	Bernie	63822	Stoddard County	Bernie R-Xiii	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 293-5335	283	23	12.1	64.0%	243 (85.9%)	4 (1.4%)	14 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.4%)	86.3	108^th of 900 public elementary schools	88.0%		84.7	110^th of 906 public elementary schools	87.9%	2		49.9		79.4	68.1		66.6			$10,282	$1,046	$9,237
Campbell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	801 S State Rte 53	Campbell	63933	Dunklin County	Campbell R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 246-3109	312	25	12.3	100.0%	283 (90.7%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)	46.7	501^st of 900 public elementary schools	44.3%		34.5	612^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.5%	111	30.0		49.9	51.1		24.0	48.5			$11,096	$2,882	$8,214
Clarkton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	Hwy 162	Clarkton	63837	Dunklin County	Clarkton C-4	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 448-3712	143	14	10.1	100.0%	85 (59.4%)	19 (13.3%)	31 (21.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.6%)	14.3	783^rd of 900 public elementary schools	13.0%		9.1	841^st of 906 public elementary schools	7.2%	58		26.4	18.8			23.7	21.2		4.4	$13,200	$1,292	$11,908
Risco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	Hwy 62	Risco	63874	New Madrid County	Risco R-II	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 396-5501	80	11	7.0	66.3%	76 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.5%)								(n/a)							37.6			$17,488	$1,284	$16,204
Gideon Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	400 Main	Gideon	63848	New Madrid County	Gideon 37	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 448-3447	115	14	8.4	100.0%	112 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)								(n/a)			22.3							$16,180	$561	$15,619
Holcomb Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	102 S Cherry	Holcomb	63852	Dunklin County	Holcomb R-III	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 792-3550	235	21	10.9	100.0%	199 (84.7%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.7%)	36.1	606^th of 900 public elementary schools	32.7%		21.3	717^th of 906 public elementary schools	20.9%	111	28.7	27.4	13.9		31.2	35.8	45.4		38.6	$10,795	$1,383	$9,413
Central Elementary	Public	3-5	1213 Central Dr	Dexter	63841	Stoddard County	Dexter R-Xi	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 614-1020	447	37	11.9	53.0%	410 (91.7%)	3 (0.7%)	23 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	63.6	325^th of 900 public elementary schools	63.9%		75.4	194^th of 906 public elementary schools	78.6%	131	46.9	47.9	49.9		52.8	42.9	42.4	47.7		$10,719	$540	$10,179
Southwest Elementary	Public	K-2	915 W Grant St	Dexter	63841	Stoddard County	Dexter R-Xi	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 614-1015	441	39	11.2	60.3%	398 (90.2%)	3 (0.7%)	17 (3.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.1%)								(n/a)										$10,602	$1,043	$9,559
Qulin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	21 County Road 213	Qulin	63961	Butler County	Twin Rivers R-X	No	No	No	Yes	(573) 328-4400	108	11	9.5	64.8%	102 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)								(n/a)										$12,454	$1,328	$11,126

Frequently Asked Questions about Malden Lower Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Malden Lower Elementary?

Students at Malden Lower Elementary are 54% White, 30% African American, 10% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Malden Lower Elementary attend?

Students who attend Malden Lower Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Malden High

What district is Malden Lower Elementary in?

Malden R-I

Is Malden Lower Elementary a good school?

Malden Lower Elementary ranks in the bottom 23.4% of Missouri elementary schools.

How many students attend Malden Lower Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 424 students attended Malden Lower Elementary.

Rate Malden Lower Elementary!

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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.