The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Science. The lowest is 60% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Walcott Elementary School
Walcott Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grade in the small Mississippi Valley town of Walcott, operating as a regular public school within the Davenport Community School District. The school is modest in size and draws its students from a community that blends quiet residential streets with a sprawling interstate interchange known for the world’s largest truck stop.
On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, Walcott’s students turned in results that mix clear strengths with more uneven ground. In mathematics, a solid majority of students met or exceeded the state’s proficiency benchmark, a performance that fits comfortably within what parents might expect from a school of this profile. Science results were even stronger, with a high share of students demonstrating proficiency. English language arts proved more challenging: just over six in ten students scored proficient. Placed against the other districts in Scott County, Walcott Elementary’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint of the comparison set—a fact that tells a parent about relative position but not about the school’s day-to-day instruction. Because Walcott serves only elementary and middle grades, no graduation rate exists here, and the data do not include chronic absenteeism figures or details on special education and English learner populations; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those areas.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and students of two or more races, and a very small number of Black and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About half of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that places Walcott in the middle range of economic need for the area. Class sizes are small across the grade levels, which can allow for more individualized attention than larger elementary schools might offer.
Walcott itself is a town shaped by two distinct geographies. Its historic core, laid out along the railroad in the 1800s, retains a small-town Midwestern character with a grid of residential streets and a modest main street. The other Walcott is the I-80 interchange, where phases of annexation have brought a dense cluster of truck stops, motels, and chain restaurants anchored by the massive Iowa 80 Truck Stop. Daily life in the residential parts is car-dependent, and the economic base leans heavily on travel and logistics. Housing values in Walcott are above the state median but remain below the national median, and the local housing market has seen modest appreciation. A family moving here would find a town where the elementary school sits within walking distance of many homes in the older core, while high school students commute to Davenport West High School roughly fifteen miles east.
The Davenport district itself has not seen major recent changes publicly reported—no recent referendums, curriculum overhauls, or property tax shifts surfaced in available information. That stability may appeal to parents who prefer a known quantity, though it also means there is no obvious new initiative to point to as a draw.
For a family considering Walcott Elementary, the take-away is a school with particular academic patterns: strong math and science proficiency, a weaker reading result that warrants a closer look, and peer context that is below the county average but not dramatically so. The school’s small size, the town’s quiet residential feel, and the relative affordability of housing compared to national benchmarks are practical considerations. The interstate corridor is a constant presence but also provides easy access to the Quad Cities region. A parent who values a traditional elementary school in a small town with a clear, if unflashy, academic profile will find Walcott Elementary a straightforward option. Those seeking a school with top-tier test scores across the board or extensive enrichment programs may want to investigate further.
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