The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in English language arts. The lowest is 52% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mcdoniel Estes M Es
McDoniel Estes M ES sits on Fox Ridge Drive in Henderson, the second-largest city in Nevada and a core piece of the Las Vegas Valley metro. It is a regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, part of the sprawling Clark County School District. The school serves a modest-sized enrollment for its grade band, with students spread fairly evenly across the early grades.
Academically, McDoniel Estes posted strong results on the most recent state assessments. In both math and English language arts, well over half of tested students in grades three through five reached proficiency on the SBAC, with ELA slightly ahead of math. Science, tested only at fifth grade, saw just over half of students clear the proficiency bar. Participation was solid across all three subjects. These are genuinely strong numbers for an elementary school, particularly one where every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The school appears to be moving a majority of its students to grade-level standard in the core subjects, and a parent reading these results can feel reasonably confident about the academic core. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these proficiency levels are improving, holding steady, or sliding from a prior peak.
The student body is diverse. Hispanic students form the largest single group, followed by white students, then Black students, with a smaller share of multiracial, Asian, and Native students rounding out the population. Every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which marks this as a school serving a predominantly lower-income community. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not reported, so a parent whose child falls into either of those categories would want to ask the school directly about the services and staffing in place to support them.
The surrounding neighborhood context matters for a family weighing this school. Henderson is a large, rapidly growing suburban city built around a series of master-planned communities such as Green Valley, Anthem, and Inspirada. It is car-dependent by design, with major highways connecting neighborhoods to Las Vegas and limited commuter walking infrastructure, though the city maintains an extensive recreational trail system and dozens of parks. The area around the school reflects the broader pattern: residential, planned, and connected by arterial roads rather than walkable grids. Major employers in Henderson include the city government, Amazon, Barclays, Dignity Health, and the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters, and the city has been attracting data-center and advanced-industry investment. Henderson residents hold bachelor's and graduate degrees at higher rates than the broader region, which shapes the civic culture even in lower-income neighborhoods.
The housing market in the school's zip code is moderate by Las Vegas-area standards. Home values sit below the state benchmark and have softened somewhat over the past year, while rents are also down slightly. Renting remains meaningfully cheaper than carrying a mortgage at current interest rates, which may appeal to families who prioritize flexibility or are not yet positioned to buy. The price-to-income ratio is elevated relative to national norms, so affordability is a real consideration for households looking to purchase.
Several data gaps are worth naming. We found no information on staffing ratios, attendance, discipline, course access, or specific program offerings such as gifted services, arts, or after-school activities. Title I status was not reported, though the universal free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility strongly suggests the school receives federal support for high-poverty campuses. The Clark County School District brief did not surface any parent-relevant policy, curriculum, or funding changes of note. A family considering McDoniel Estes would do well to ask the school about enrichment opportunities, intervention support, and how it serves students with special needs, since those details are not visible in the available data.
What the evidence shows is a solid-performing elementary school in a diverse, growing suburban community, with strong proficiency results relative to its economic profile. For a family comfortable with a car-oriented Henderson lifestyle and seeking a public elementary option where the academic fundamentals appear to be working, McDoniel Estes is a reasonable place to look more closely.
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