The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in Math. The lowest is 62% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elementary School
Franklin Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Council Bluffs Community School District. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school sits in a neighborhood on the city’s east side, part of a larger community that blends residential streets with commercial and industrial corridors. Council Bluffs itself is a mid-sized city that anchors the Iowa side of the Omaha metropolitan area, with an economy centered on food processing, manufacturing, casino gaming, and railroad operations. Housing in the area is priced below the state median, and rents are also lower, making the market more accessible for many families.
The school’s enrollment is on the larger side for an elementary building, drawing from a broadly diverse mix of students. White students make up the majority of the student body, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and smaller but present groups of Black students, students of two or more races, and others. A significant portion of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which indicates that many families are navigating economic challenges. The shares of students with individualized education programs and English learners were not reported in the available data, so a family seeking specific information about those supports may want to follow up with the school directly.
On state assessments, which are given through the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, Franklin’s students posted results that sit below the median when compared with other districts in Pottawattamie County. Overall proficiency across tested subjects, averaged together, placed the school in the bottom quarter of the county’s districts. Looking at individual subjects, math proficiency was the stronger area, with a clear majority of students meeting the state’s bar. Reading and English language arts proficiency was somewhat lower but still above a majority. Science proficiency, which is tested in fewer grades, fell into a similar range as reading. These are single-year results, with no prior trend data available to show whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining. Participation rates on the assessments were high, which means the reported results reflect nearly the entire tested student body.
Because Franklin is an elementary school, it does not have a graduation rate, nor does it offer the high-school-level programs like Advanced Placement or dual credit that families often consider for older students. The school’s focus is on the early grades, and the core academic program is delivered within that span. No data was available on the school’s staffing levels, class sizes, discipline rates, or chronic absenteeism, so those dimensions of school climate and support are not part of this picture.
The Council Bluffs Community School District itself did not appear to have major recent developments or strategic changes publicly reported, so readers should not read any particular direction into that absence; it simply means no new initiatives or disruptions were documented in the available public record.
Franklin Elementary offers a solid academic foundation in a community where housing costs are relatively manageable. Families looking into the school will find a building serving a economically mixed population, with assessed performance that is a bit behind much of the county but still shows a majority of students meeting state benchmarks in both reading and math. The school’s size means there are likely multiple classrooms per grade, which can offer some flexibility in peer grouping. For a family deciding whether this school fits, the key variables are the school’s academic profile relative to county peers, the demographic and economic context of the surrounding neighborhood, and the lack of publicly available data on special education and English learner populations, which may be worth a direct inquiry.
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