The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in Science. The lowest is 64% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Fremont-mills Elementary School
Fremont-Mills Elementary School serves students from preschool through sixth grade in Tabor, Iowa, a small rural community in the northern part of Fremont County. The town has a residential, agricultural character and a strong historical identity rooted in its founding by abolitionists and its role in the Underground Railroad, which is preserved at the Todd House Museum. The Fremont-Mills Community School District combines students from Fremont and Mills counties, and the elementary school is part of that broader, largely rural district.
The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the surrounding community’s economic profile. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and the data does not indicate Title I status. Enrollment is small, as is typical for a rural elementary school serving multiple grades from a population that has been essentially flat to slightly declining in recent years. The median home value in the area is below the national average, making this a relatively affordable part of Iowa.
On state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates are within a mixed range. In math and English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above is near the midpoint among the three districts in Fremont County, falling just below the county median. In science, a higher share of students reached proficiency, though the number of students tested in that subject was smaller because science is assessed in fewer grade levels. The school had a strong participation rate on all three assessments, which means the results reflect nearly all students in the tested grades rather than a selective group. With only one year of assessment data available, there is no trend to evaluate yet.
Because the school serves only up to sixth grade, there is no graduation rate or high school outcomes to report. The school has post-preschool enrollment concentrated in the lower elementary grades, with a notably larger preschool program, which may be a draw for families moving into the area with younger children who want to establish a connection early.
The community is small and car-dependent, with most residents commuting to work by private vehicle. Civic life is centered around seasonal events such as the Farmers & Merchants Picnic and the Holiday Lighting Festival. The town does not have a robust downtown commercial district, and the school’s campus location was not identified in available records, though it serves a broad rural area that extends into a second county. The district website and public sources show no recent major changes such as bond referendums, boundary shifts, or curriculum overhauls, so families can expect a stable but quiet environment.
For a family looking at this school, the key takeaways are a reasonably performing elementary school in an affordable, tight-knit rural community with a strong sense of local history. The academic results are solid in science and slightly below the county midpoint in reading and math, so a parent interested in those areas may want to ask the school about specific instructional approaches or interventions. The small size means children are likely to receive individual attention, but it also means fewer specialized programs or course options than a larger district might offer. The preschool program is large relative to the rest of the school, which could be an asset for families starting their children in the district early. The lack of discipline, staffing, or chronic absenteeism data in the source material means those dimensions of school climate are not directly assessed here.
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