Enrollment
247
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Platte, NE
Mcdonald Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mcdonald Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 310002201328
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcdonald Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Nebraska schools.
- #7 of 9
- schools in North Platte · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.6:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 28.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcdonald Elementary School has class sizes larger than 96% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in North Platte, NE.
School address
District: North Platte Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 310002201328 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+53% 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
What stands out at Mcdonald Elementary School
Mcdonald Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in North Platte, Nebraska, enrolling 247 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.6:1 is larger than about 96% of Nebraska schools and 53% above the 13.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.6% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 247 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,003 Nebraska schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 224 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #218, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 494 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
The surrounding North Platte Public Schools spends $12,692 per pupil, 28% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
North Platte Public Schools also operates North Platte High School (1,145 students) and Adams Middle School (513 students) alongside Mcdonald Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mcdonald Elementary School compares
Mcdonald Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.6:1 | ▲ 53% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 7% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 247 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
247
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 53% above state mean
Top 96% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Funding equity
$12,692
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
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.
Student-body diversity index 32.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.0, Mcdonald Elementary School is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Platte Public Schools, which includes Mcdonald Elementary School.
$12,692
Per student
-28%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Mcdonald Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Platte High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Adams Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcdonald Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 513
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 263
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~247 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcdonald Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mcdonald Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- North Platte Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Mcdonald Elementary School
How many students attend Mcdonald Elementary School?
Mcdonald Elementary School has 247 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Platte, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Elementary School is 20.6:1, which is 53% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in North Platte, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdonald Elementary School?
Mcdonald Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mcdonald Elementary School rank among schools in North Platte?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Elementary School ranks #7 of 9 schools in North Platte, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in North Platte on the city page.
Is Mcdonald Elementary School a good school?
Mcdonald Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Nebraska schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in North Platte Public Schools?
Besides Mcdonald Elementary School, North Platte Public Schools also operates North Platte High School (1,145 students), Adams Middle School (513 students), and Jefferson Elementary School (329 students). See the North Platte Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.