Enrollment
247
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 310002201328
Mcdonald Elementary School — North Platte, NE
Federal NCES profile for Mcdonald Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: North Platte Public Schools · Nebraska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Nebraska avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.6%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcdonald Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mcdonald Elementary School reports 247 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 12.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 43% above the Nebraska state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 28.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 7% below the Nebraska average and 45% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 494 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding North Platte Public Schools spends $13,728 per pupil district-wide, below the Nebraska average of $20,313 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 55.4% from local sources (property taxes), 29.0% from the state, and 15.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mcdonald Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Nebraska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 43% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 7% | 30.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 247 | top 51% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
28.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 7% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
— 43% above state mean
Top 96% in Nebraska — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$13,728
per pupil, district-wide
— below Nebraska avg of $20,313
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 494 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 247 Top 51% in Nebraska — larger than 49% of 1,010 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 12.0
Students per teacher 19.5:1 +43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 28.6% -7% vs state
NCES ID 310002201328
Student demographics
White 81.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 2.8%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 81.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 494:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 13
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Platte Public Schools, which includes Mcdonald Elementary School.
$13,728
Per student
-32%
vs Nebraska
Avg $20,313
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 55.4%
State 29.0%
Federal 15.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 263
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
Similar other schools in North Platte
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Jefferson Elementary School
Standard public school
329 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary School
Standard public school
316 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary School
Standard public school
226 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Cody Elementary School
Standard public school
225 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Eisenhower Elementary School
Standard public school
217 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Buffalo Early Learning Center
Standard public school
133 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mcdonald Elementary School
How many students attend Mcdonald Elementary School?
Mcdonald Elementary School has 247 students enrolled. It is a other school in NORTH PLATTE, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Elementary School is 19.5:1, which is 43% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.6:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcdonald Elementary School?
28.6% of students at Mcdonald Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcdonald Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mcdonald Elementary School is White at 81.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in NORTH PLATTE, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdonald Elementary School?
Mcdonald Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.