The top reported proficiency rate is 79% in Science. The lowest is 77% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Cr-b Elementary School
CR-B Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Coon Rapids, Iowa, as part of the Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District. The school is located in a small rural town that straddles Carroll and Guthrie counties, along the Middle Raccoon River. The town has deep agricultural roots, historically known as the cradle of the hybrid seed corn industry through the Garst & Thomas company. Its population has been essentially flat in recent years, and the area retains basic commercial services including a grocery store, hardware store, banks, and agricultural service businesses. Just outside town, the Whiterock Conservancy, a large conservation area, offers extensive trails, fishing, and paddling access, contributing to the area's identity as an outdoor recreation destination. The school district itself was formed by a merger of the Bayard and Coon Rapids districts.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Enrollment is small, as one would expect for a town of this size serving only the elementary grades. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a small Hispanic population and very few students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a signal of the economic context many families in the area navigate. Data on special education identification and English learner status was not available in the reporting.
On state assessments, CR-B Elementary posted solid results. Proficiency rates in math and English language arts were similar, and in science the rate was modestly higher. These results place the school above the midpoint among the four districts in Carroll County on an overall proficiency measure. The school's performance is a notable strength for a small rural elementary school serving a community with modest economic resources. For a parent, these numbers suggest that the school is effectively supporting core academic skills for most of its students.
Because CR-B Elementary serves only prekindergarten through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not have high school course offerings such as Advanced Placement or career and technical education pathways, as those are features of the secondary level. A parent considering the district long-term would want to learn about the upper grades in the same district, which are not covered here. The community context is quiet and stable, with modest street life typical of a small Iowa town. The downtown core is centered on a notably wide Main Street, and the American Discovery Trail passes through town. A paved Riverside Trail parallels the river for walking, biking, and fishing.
The district brief, based on publicly reported information, turned up no recent lasting changes such as boundary adjustments or program overhauls that would directly affect parents. Housing values in the area sit below state and national benchmarks, which is consistent with a rural community of this size. For a family that values a small, rural elementary setting with a strong proficiency record, modest cost of living, and access to outdoor recreation, CR-B Elementary is a solid option. A family that prioritizes racial or economic diversity, or that wants early exposure to specialized programming such as language immersion or STEM magnets, would find this school does not offer those features. The school fits families who want a straightforward, academically solid elementary experience within walking or short driving distance to the town's basic amenities and natural surroundings.
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