ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM.

Set in JACKSON, Missouri, ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. is a middle-of-the-pack K-5 school, overseen by JACKSON R-II. It educates 404 students across grades K through 4. Compared to the state average of about 315 students per school, that is 28% larger than typical.

ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. is one of 10 schools operated by JACKSON R-II, a district that teaches 5,827 students overall.

In terms of who attends, ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. records that 91% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Other groups include 4% multiracial, 2% Black.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. has 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.9:1. The state averages around 12.4:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 52% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Cape Girardeau County runs at roughly 62%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. ranks in the top 10% of Missouri public schools. The BeatsExpectations model, a per-state regression of composite proficiency on FRL share, predicts schools with this student profile to land around 50.3%; ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. posts 76.5%, +26.2 points above that line.

In the area at large, census data for Cape Girardeau County shows median household income runs about $68,464, 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. Across Cape Girardeau County's 27 public schools (combined enrollment of about 11,025 students), ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. is one campus in the mix.

JACKSON MIDDLE is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.3 miles from this campus. 7 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM. ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 44.8%.

The school occupies a residential site.

Trend over the last 7 years. ORCHARD DRIVE ELEM.'s enrollment has decreased 12% since 2018, when it stood at 461 (now 404). Class-load math has tightened: from 15.8:1 in 2018 to 13.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.