The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in Math. The lowest is 77% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Ekstrand Elementary School
Ekstrand Elementary School serves De Witt, Iowa, and the surrounding communities within the Central DeWitt School District. It is a regular public school covering pre-kindergarten through third grade, which makes it a dedicated early-primary building. The school is part of a district that also includes a separate intermediate school and a high school, but for families with young children, Ekstrand is the starting point.
De Witt itself is a small city in Clinton County that has been growing faster than other towns in the county. It sits at the intersection of U.S. Highways 30 and 61, giving it a regional crossroads feel. The downtown core retains a traditional grid pattern with a historic business district, a central park, and several civic anchors including a community library, a performing arts center, and an active parks and trails network. The city has completed a comprehensive plan to guide future growth, and the housing market reflects a community that is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, with typical home values running above the state average but still well below the national figure. For a family moving into the area, the town offers a mix of older homes and ongoing development, with a short commute to larger employment centers like Clinton or Davenport.
On state assessments, which are given to third graders in reading and math, Ekstrand posts strong results. In the most recent testing year, the share of students scoring proficient or above in math was well into the high eighties, and in English language arts it was in the mid-seventies. When compared with other schools in Clinton County, Ekstrand’s combined proficiency index landed at the top of the field. This is a notable strength, particularly for a school that only tests one grade level each year. The participation rate on these assessments was nearly universal, so the results reflect nearly the entire third-grade cohort. Only a single year of data was available, so there is no multi-year trend to examine, but the current snapshot positions the school favorably.
Student enrollment is moderate for a PK–3 building, with a student body that is predominantly white, with small shares of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students enrolled. About three in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a typical rate for the region and indicates a mix of economic backgrounds. The school did not report counts for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent wanting to understand special education or language support services may wish to follow up directly with the school. Similarly, data on discipline, attendance, and staffing were not available in the sources reviewed, so the overall picture of school climate is incomplete from a quantitative standpoint.
The district itself has not had any major recent changes that are publicly documented, so the school likely operates with continuity in leadership and programming. No information was provided about specific programs such as enrichment, early intervention, or extended learning, but given the strong academic results at the third-grade level, the school appears to be delivering effective foundational instruction. For a family looking for a small-town elementary school with a track record of high proficiency in the early grades, Ekstrand presents a straightforward option. The absence of data on certain student-support areas is a gap worth exploring, but the available measures suggest a well-regarded school in a community that is growing and investing in its future.
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