The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Math. The lowest is 46% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Alma Schrader Elem.
Alma Schrader Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade as a regular public school within the Cape Girardeau 63 district in southeastern Missouri. Housed on Randolph Street, the school draws its students from the city of Cape Girardeau, a regional center that anchors healthcare, education, commerce, and entertainment for the area. Southeast Missouri State University, two major hospitals, a shopping mall, and a manufacturing base give the city an economic heft that extends well beyond its residential core, and the daily population swells significantly as workers and visitors come in from across the region. The city describes itself as having a small-town feel, a reasonable cost of living, and short commutes, with a downtown that features a floodwall mural, riverfront park, monthly art walks, and dozens of historic sites.
The school enrolls a sizable number of students for an elementary building. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Black population and smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of concentrated economic need that is not typical across all area elementary schools. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported in the available records, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the depth of special education and language support.
On state assessments, the picture varies by grade. Third graders showed solid proficiency in both math and English language arts, with a majority of tested students meeting the proficient or advanced threshold. Fourth-grade results were softer, particularly in English language arts, where roughly a third of students scored at that level. Across the tested grades and subjects, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Cape Girardeau County. That is a strong showing for the area, but the drop between third and fourth grade is a pattern a parent may wish to explore with the school, especially regarding how the curriculum and support shift as children move up.
Because the school ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also absent from the available records, and no information on discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance was provided. The district itself has no publicly reported recent changes to note in terms of curriculum, property tax measures, or pedagogy.
The housing market in the zip code where the school sits offers a price point below the state median and well below the national median, with rents that are moderate relative to local incomes. The national unemployment rate and mortgage rates are part of the broader economic context, but the area remains affordable by many measures, which can matter for families deciding where to rent or buy.
Alma Schrader Elementary is a school where academic performance in the early grades is competitive within the county, set against a backdrop of high economic need. Families who want a neighborhood elementary in a regional hub with university and hospital employment, a walkable historic downtown, and a lower cost of housing may find it a practical fit, while those concerned about the fourth-grade dip in scores or the absence of publicly reported support program data will want to press for more detail directly from the school.
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