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Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

Public Grades 1-3

Summary

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary is a public elementary school in Ferris, Texas, serving 620 students in grades 1-5. The school is part of the Ferris Independent School District, which is ranked 687 out of 968 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school has a significantly higher Hispanic student population (80.48%) compared to the state average, it has consistently underperformed on STAAR assessments across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 3rd-grade reading proficiency was 44.14%, compared to the state average of 48.85% and the district average of 38.62%. Additionally, the school's rankings for specific student subgroups vary greatly, with African American students ranking highly but English Language Learners and Gifted and Talented students ranking much lower. The school also has a very high percentage of students (over 80%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools within the Ferris Independent School District, such as Lee Longino Elementary, Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary generally performs worse on STAAR assessments. Additionally, the school's White student population has decreased from 17.58% in 2020-2021 to 13.55% in 2022-2023, while the Hispanic student population has increased from 74.8% to 80.48% during the same period. Despite the higher spending per student, the school's academic performance remains below state and district averages, suggesting that additional funding alone may not be the sole solution to improving student outcomes.

641

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,724

Per pupil spending ?

79.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 Fm 983
Ferris, TX 75125-9112

(972) 544-2574

District: Ferris Independent School District (Isd)

Students who attend Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Ferris J H
High:	Ferris High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.9%

White:

15.8%

African American:

8.6%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 56th percentile in 2021 → 28th in 2024

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (37% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2021

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg37%

Texas avg48%

Not ranked this year

Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

543^rd of 951Ferris Independent School District (Isd) among Texas 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	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	31.2	3391 of 4710	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.5	2891 of 4647	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.2	2262 of 4581	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.1	2029 of 4578	55.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	84.9	198 of 2443	91.9%	★★★★★
2022	31.5	1818 of 2421	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.8	1726 of 2444	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	54.2	1810 of 4461	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.0	1000 of 4331	76.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	23.2	3142 of 3668	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.0	2580 of 3556	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.4	1684 of 3487	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.3	1118 of 3446	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	32.6	3327 of 4658	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.2	2836 of 4588	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.2	2323 of 4561	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.8	2251 of 4499	50.0%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2023	36.0	2393 of 2980	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.1	1899 of 2958	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.7	1770 of 3006	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	25.7	3685 of 4465	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.4	2990 of 4401	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.5	1928 of 4376	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.0	1401 of 4329	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	29.3	3617 of 4594	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.1	2376 of 4521	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.7	1561 of 4477	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.7	1186 of 4451	73.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	25.1	3769 of 4647	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.4	2799 of 4585	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.2	2213 of 4563	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.3	1813 of 4498	59.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	21.2	3783 of 4292	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.7	1780 of 4086	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.5	1611 of 3952	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.9	1368 of 3799	64.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2024	38.4	2067 of 3108	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.7	1882 of 3106	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.1	1724 of 3082	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	2011 of 3082	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2023)92nd percentile+54 vs school

At Risk (2022)59th percentile+9 vs school

White (2024)33rd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2024)29th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)21st percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2023)20th percentile-18 vs school

Male (2024)19th percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2024)17th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)14th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2024)12th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

Reading43%-8 vs state

Mathematics32%-13 vs state

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Schools Near Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

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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)				STAAR Spanish Reading (2026)			STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (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	STAAR Spanish Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Spanish Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Reading 3rd Grade	STAAR Reading 4th Grade	STAAR Reading 5th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	STAAR Mathematics 4th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 5th Grade	Total
Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary	Public	1-3	500 Fm 983	Ferris	75125	Ellis County	Ferris Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 544-2574	641	43	14.9	79.4%	101 (15.8%)	55 (8.6%)	467 (72.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.3%)								(n/a)				42.8			31.6			$10,724
Lee Longino Elementary	Public	4-5	601 W F M 664	Ferris	75125	Ellis County	Ferris Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 544-8662	436	29	15.0	78.4%	69 (15.8%)	30 (6.9%)	330 (75.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	43.6	2472^nd of 4627 public elementary schools	46.6%		28.9	3498^th of 4651 public elementary schools	24.8%	1026					49.2	45.4		54.2	40.9	$10,589
Hazel Ingram Elementary	Public	PK-K	600 S Central	Ferris	75125	Ellis County	Ferris Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 544-3212	335	24	14.0	86.9%	41 (12.2%)	15 (4.5%)	273 (81.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)								(n/a)										$12,601
Eddie Bernice Johnson Stem Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	201 S Goode Rd	Wilmer	75212	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-3700	554	36	15.3	94.9%	21 (3.8%)	138 (24.9%)	380 (68.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.2%)	34.3	3133^rd of 4627 public elementary schools	32.3%		33.4	3234^th of 4651 public elementary schools	30.5%	101	23.3	52.2	55.6	44.4	46.6	43.1	25.0	52.7	32.9	$12,885
Golden Rule Schools Inc - Wilmer	Public, Charter	PK-K	520 N I-45	Wilmer	75172	Dallas County	Golden Rule Charter School	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(469) 248-4463	15	2	8.5	80.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$8,396
Aia Lancaster Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	901 E Beltline Rd	Lancaster	75146	Dallas County	Accelerated Intermediate Academy	Yes	No	(n/a)	No	(972) 227-2105	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Eastridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	725 E Ovilla Rd	Red Oak	75154	Ellis County	Red Oak Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 617-2266	530	35	15.0	63.8%	123 (23.2%)	137 (25.8%)	240 (45.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (4.9%)	54.7	1877^th of 4627 public elementary schools	59.4%		47.3	2303^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	50.5%	426				53.3	56.6	65.0	36.6	46.1	47.5	$9,187
West Main Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	531 W Main St	Lancaster	75146	Dallas County	Lancaster Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 218-1551	601	39	15.3	80.7%	20 (3.3%)	393 (65.4%)	167 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (3.0%)	27.8	3577^th of 4627 public elementary schools	22.7%		39.3	2820^th of 4651 public elementary schools	39.4%	757				39.2	45.4	43.8	20.3	40.0	37.1	$6,871
Palmer Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	303 Dick St	Palmer	75152	Ellis County	Palmer Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 449-3132	525	29	17.9	53.9%	248 (47.2%)	6 (1.1%)	251 (47.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.0%)	58	1714^th of 4627 public elementary schools	63.0%		75.3	923^rd of 4651 public elementary schools	80.2%	791				58.8	53.7		52.4	39.8		$8,310
Red Oak Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Valley Ridge Dr	Red Oak	75154	Ellis County	Red Oak Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 617-3523	491	33	14.8	65.4%	81 (16.5%)	200 (40.7%)	185 (37.7%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.3%)	41.4	2631^st of 4627 public elementary schools	43.1%		37	2984^th of 4651 public elementary schools	35.8%	353				47.6	50.0	40.3	48.2	47.3	31.5	$10,367

Frequently Asked Questions about Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary

How many students attend Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 641 students attended Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary?

Students at Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary are 73% Hispanic, 16% White, 9% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary in?

Ferris Independent School District (Isd)

What schools do graduates of Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lucy Mae McDonald Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ferris J H
High : Ferris High School

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

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

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.