The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on North Hill Elementary School
North Hill Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Burlington, Iowa. It belongs to the Burlington Community School District, the same district that operates the city’s single high school and the newly launched VIBE Virtual Learning Program for older students. For families with young children in the Burlington area, this is the elementary building they would be looking at from the district’s earliest grade entry point up through fourth grade.
The school enrolls an elementary population that reflects the socio-economic range of the community. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly white, with a notable Black share and multiracial share, alongside a Hispanic presence. The remaining groups are small by comparison. Burlington itself is a small Mississippi River city with a historic downtown, a manufacturing and healthcare employment base, and a gradual population decline typical of many small Midwestern industrial cities. Housing values in the area are well below the national median, making entry into the local market relatively affordable, and the school sits within a compact, auto-oriented residential neighborhood just north of the city’s downtown core.
On the 2024-25 Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, North Hill Elementary recorded proficiency rates in both reading and math that each reached around six in ten students, with full participation. The single-year data point does not allow for trend analysis, but the results show that a distinct majority of test-takers met the state’s proficiency standard. The school’s science results are from an earlier assessment year with a different test and different cut scores, so they are not comparable with current performance. When placed among the four school districts in Des Moines County, the school’s overall proficiency index — the average of its tested subjects — fell into the bottom quartile of that small set. That means its peer comparison within the county is narrower than a statewide frame would be, and the other three districts posted higher combined proficiency levels. A parent would want to ask the school what supports are in place for students who are below the standard and how the school’s approach compares to the higher-scoring elementary schools in neighboring districts.
The school does not serve grades that produce a graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data, so those metrics are absent by design. The data provided does not include information on special education identification rates, English learner counts, class sizes, teacher staffing ratios, discipline rates, or the school’s Title I status. A parent looking for a fuller picture of class environment and student support resources should request those details directly from the school or district. The school’s grade band also means that high school offerings such as advanced placement, dual credit, or career pathways do not apply here; those are relevant only at the Burlington High School level, which recently completed a major capital renovation adding science rooms, modernized classrooms, and security upgrades.
For a family considering North Hill Elementary, the central facts are straightforward. The school serves a standard elementary span in a midsized Mississippi River city with an affordable housing market. Its state test results show a majority of students meeting proficiency benchmarks, but the school ranks at the lower end of the local county comparison. The absence of several supporting data points on special populations and school environment means a parent’s next step would be to visit, talk with the principal, and learn how the school addresses the learning needs of all its students. The district’s recent investment in its high school and the creation of a virtual learning option for older grades suggests some institutional momentum, but those changes do not directly affect the elementary experience at North Hill.
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