McDonnell Elementary School

McDonnell Elementary School is a reasonably sized K-5 school in Huntsville, Alabama, one of the schools within Huntsville City. The school hosts 511 students in grades pre-K through 5.

McDonnell Elementary School is one of 44 schools operated by Huntsville City, a district that caters to 24,222 students overall.

Looking at the student body, McDonnell Elementary School lists that 62% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. Other groups include 24% Black, 10% White, 2% multiracial. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 7%.

On the income-and-resources front, The school currently runs with 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 18.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.0:1, putting McDonnell Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. Around 67% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Madison County runs at roughly 41%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, McDonnell Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 35.6%; this one delivers 20.7%.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Madison County) records that the typical household earns roughly $86,499 per year, 46% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. McDonnell Elementary School is one of 89 public schools in Madison County (combined enrollment of about 55,800 students).

Nearest neighbor: Ridgecrest Elementary School, around 0.9 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around McDonnell Elementary School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts McDonnell Elementary School at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 38.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a metropolitan area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at McDonnell Elementary School has held roughly steady, going from 514 students in 2018 to 511 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment grew from 57% to 62% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio grew from 16.9:1 in 2018 to 18.9:1 today.

On this page, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.