Summary:
In zip code 78650, there is a single elementary school, McDade Elementary, serving grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade in the rural community of McDade, Texas, as part of the McDade Independent School District (Isd).
McDade Elementary is a small school with 208 students and a favorable 12:1 student-teacher ratio, which can allow for more individualized attention. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20-30% of Texas elementary schools over the past three years, earning a 1-star rating. Despite this low overall ranking, the school shows notable strengths in specific areas, particularly in mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 62.5% of 3rd graders and 53.85% of 6th graders were proficient in math, significantly outperforming state averages. A majority of students (59.13%) are economically disadvantaged, and per-student spending is $10,623.
The most striking finding is the extreme year-over-year volatility in test scores, likely due to the small class sizes where a few students can heavily skew percentages. For instance, 3rd-grade reading proficiency dropped from 50% to 13.64%, and 3rd-grade math fell from 62.5% to 27.27% between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. This volatility may also reflect the lingering effects of disrupted early learning during the pandemic for certain cohorts. Additionally, a critical weakness exists in 5th-grade science, where only 14.29% of students were proficient, compared to the state average of 29.57%. While the school has pockets of excellence in math, parents should be aware of the inconsistent performance across grades and subjects.
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