Enrollment
249
Elementary
STATE 315
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NELL HOLCOMB R-IV·NCES 290732000194
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.
6547 STATE HWY 177, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO 63701 · (573) 334-3644 · Cape Girardeau County
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL249 STUDENTS
C-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 21% of Missouri public elementary schools
- CTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- BThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Missouri public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
8.6:1
29 FTE teachers
STATE 12.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
37%
92 students
STATE 54%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 1 | 0% |
| Kindergarten | 25 | 10% |
| Grade 1 | 31 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 33 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 33 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 29 | 12% |
| Grade 5 | 22 | 9% |
| Grade 6 | 24 | 10% |
| Grade 7 | 28 | 11% |
| Grade 8 | 23 | 9% |
This year's kindergarten class (25) is 9% larger than its 8th grade class (23).
Student demographics
27%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
STATE 52% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MAP 2024-25 . % Proficient + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
43.3%
MO avg 44.9% . +2.5pp since 2021
Math
35.7%
MO avg 43.8% . +3.2pp since 2021
What this means: On the MAP, Missouri's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 36 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Missouri schools, those numbers are about 45 and 44. Reading and writing scores are up about 3 points since 2021, while math scores are up about 3 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 13.1% | 30.2% | 38.8% | 17.7% |
| Math | 11.2% | 24.5% | 43.0% | 21.1% |
Share of tested students at each MAP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
MAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 43.3% | 35.7% |
| 2023-24 | 32.8% | 36.1% |
| 2022-23 | 43.4% | 35.3% |
| 2021-22 | 40.8% | 32.5% |
% Proficient + Advanced, all students and all tested grades.
Source: MAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
31.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
46.0%
based on MO schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-14.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 31% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 46% typical for Missouri schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Missouri's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.'s state test result (31.2% proficient) is higher than 0 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. this school | 249 | 36.9% | 31.2% |
| JAMES E. FREER ELEM. BARNHART | 276 | 35.1% | N/A |
| MIDWAY ELEM. CLEVELAND | 227 | 37.0% | 38.3% |
| EARLY CHILDHOOD CTR. HARRISONVILLE | 243 | 37.4% | N/A |
| JOHN GLENN ELEM. ST JOSEPH | 280 | 34.3% | 49.9% |
| NORTH ELEM. JACKSON | 249 | 40.6% | 55.1% |
Matched among Missouri elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Missouri | In Cape Girardeau County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 31.2% | #719 of 1,002 | #10 of 13 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 35.7% | #658 of 1,019 ▼ 28 | #11 of 13 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.3% | #514 of 1,018 ▲ 228 | #8 of 13 ▲ 3 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +2.9pp | #384 of 943 | #10 of 12 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 249 | #830 of 1,294 | #9 of 15 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 8.6:1 | #13 of 950 | #1 of 11 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 27.0% | #584 of 953 | #7 of 11 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 36.9% | #857 of 1,165 | #10 of 13 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -11.1% | #411 of 684 | #9 of 10 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
249
+17 (+7%) vs 2020
-19% since 1990-91, when it was 306
Student : Teacher
8.6:1
was 8.0:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 249 | 29 | 8.6:1 | 37% (92) |
| 2023-24 | 241 | 29 | 8.3:1 | 40% (96) |
| 2022-23 | 244 | 28 | 8.7:1 | 41% (100) |
| 2020-21 | 232 | 29 | 8.0:1 | 44% (102) |
| 2017-18 | 280 | 25 | 11.2:1 | 53% (147) |
| 2015-16 | 287 | 26 | 11.0:1 | 52% (148) |
| 2010-11 | 307 | 28 | 11.0:1 | 37% (114) |
| 2000-01 | 300 | 24 | 12.5:1 | 29% (87) |
| 1990-91 | 306 | 16 | 19.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for NELL HOLCOMB ELEM..
Since 2017-18: students down 11% (280 to 249); teachers up 16% (25 to 29).
About NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. is a public elementary school run by NELL HOLCOMB R-IV in CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri. The school reports 249 students in pre-K through 8. The school's enrollment is 21% smaller than the 315 average for elementary schools in Missouri.
The school's district is NELL HOLCOMB R-IV.
About 85% of the student body at NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. is White. The rest of enrollment is 10% Black and 2% Hispanic. The White share in Cape Girardeau County as a whole is similar, at about 85%. NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.'s diversity index is 27%, against a US figure of 70%.
The school reported 29 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25 and a ratio of 8.6:1. The school has fewer students per teacher than the 12.4:1 average for elementary schools in Missouri. Eligible students account for 37% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program. Across public schools in Cape Girardeau County, the average is 62%.
allk12 grades NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. a C-. The grade compares the school only with Missouri public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Predicted from its free or reduced-price lunch share, NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. would score about 46.0%. It scores 31.2%, 14.9 points below that figure.
Cape Girardeau County has about 82,735 residents, and the median household income is $68,464, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 33%, and about 6% of people live in poverty. Besides NELL HOLCOMB ELEM., Cape Girardeau County has 26 other public schools.
BLANCHARD ELEM. is the closest public school, about 4.8 miles away in a straight line. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within ten miles of NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.. By average proficiency, NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. is 7th among 8 schools close by.
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. is in rural territory close to an urban area, a location NCES labels Rural: Fringe.
Enrollment at NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. grew 7% between 2020-21 and 2024-25, from 232 to 249 students.
Topics for discussion here include science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Cape Girardeau County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
82,735
Census ACS
Median income
$68,464
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
27
11,025 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in CAPE GIRARDEAU
- CENTRAL HIGHHigh · 1,278 students
- CENTRAL JR. HIGHMiddle · 633 students
- CENTRAL MIDDLEMiddle · 623 students
- JEFFERSON ELEM.Elementary · 494 students
- CLIPPARD ELEM.Elementary · 383 students
- ALMA SCHRADER ELEM.Elementary · 332 students
Nearby schools
- BLANCHARD ELEM.4.8 mi · 326
- GIRARDOT CENTER FOR YOUTH5.8 mi · 24
- ALMA SCHRADER ELEM.6.0 mi · 332
- CENTRAL MIDDLE6.6 mi · 623
- CENTRAL JR. HIGH6.7 mi · 633
- CLIPPARD ELEM.6.8 mi · 383
Frequently asked questions
About NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.What is the total enrollment at NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.?
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. enrolls approximately 249 students in grades PK-08.
What age range does NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. serve?
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. serves students from grade PK through grade 08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.?
The student-to-teacher ratio at NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. is approximately 8.6:1 (29 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at NELL HOLCOMB ELEM.?
At NELL HOLCOMB ELEM., the student body is approximately 85% White, 2% Hispanic, 10% Black, 0% Asian, 1% Two or more.
What district is NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. in?
NELL HOLCOMB ELEM. is part of NELL HOLCOMB R-IV.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.