Enrollment
445
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Searcy, AR
Mcrae Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mcrae Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 051221000984
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcrae Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Arkansas schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Searcy · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 44.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcrae Elementary School has class sizes larger than 85% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcrae Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Searcy, AR.
School address
District: Searcy School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051221000984 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.5%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcrae Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcrae Elementary School
Mcrae Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Searcy, Arkansas, enrolling 445 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 445 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 309 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #105.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 348 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students) and Southwest Middle School (913 students) alongside Mcrae 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 Mcrae Elementary School compares
Mcrae Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 31% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.5% | ▼ 25% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 445 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
445
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 85% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,738
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 348 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 72.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
Two or More 9.0%
African American 6.3%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.8, Mcrae Elementary School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Searcy School District, which includes Mcrae Elementary School.
$10,738
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 35.7%
Federal 21.9%
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 Mcrae Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searcy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwest Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ahlf Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sidney Deener Elem. School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westside Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcrae Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~445 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcrae Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mcrae Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Searcy School District'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 Mcrae Elementary School
How many students attend Mcrae Elementary School?
Mcrae Elementary School has 445 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Searcy, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcrae Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcrae Elementary School is 17.8:1, which is 31% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcrae Elementary School?
44.5% of students at Mcrae Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcrae Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mcrae Elementary School is White at 72.6% of enrollment, in Searcy, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcrae Elementary School?
Mcrae Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Mcrae Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Searcy?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcrae Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Searcy, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Searcy on the city page.
Is Mcrae Elementary School a good school?
Mcrae Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Arkansas 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 Searcy School District?
Besides Mcrae Elementary School, Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students), Southwest Middle School (913 students), and Ahlf Junior High School (576 students). See the Searcy School District 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.