The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 51% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pekin Elementary School
Pekin Elementary School is a small, regular public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in the rural community of Packwood, Iowa, part of the Pekin Community School District. The town itself is a tiny, predominantly residential place with a shrinking population and a handful of local businesses. Housing is mostly owner-occupied, and the median home value sits well below the state average, making it an affordable entry point for families. The school is woven into the compact fabric of the community rather than sitting on a separate campus. With only modest commercial activity in Packwood, most working adults likely commute to larger towns in the area for employment.
The student body is small, with an enrollment that is overwhelmingly white, a very small Hispanic population, and even fewer Black students and students of two or more races. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that indicates a substantial share of families have lower household incomes. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not reported.
Academically, Pekin Elementary posted proficiency rates that place it in the bottom tier among the two districts in Jefferson County on a combined measure of tested subjects. In both English language arts and math, the share of students scoring at or above proficiency was solidly above the midpoint of what a simple pass-fail line measures, meaning most students met that bar. Science proficiency was lower, with roughly half of tested students reaching the proficient level. Those science results come from a narrower slice of students, as science testing typically covers fewer grades. The school had a very high participation rate on state assessments, which means the results reflect nearly all enrolled students, not just a subset.
The available data gives a single year of testing results, so there is no trend line to indicate whether performance is moving upward or downward. The school serves only elementary and early middle grades through sixth, so there is no graduation rate to report. Parents looking ahead to high school would need to follow their child into Pekin Community High School, whose outcomes are not captured here.
The district itself, based on a search for recent changes, showed little publicly reported activity of the kind that would affect a family's day-to-day experience. No curriculum shifts, referenda, or tax changes surfaced. That means the school environment is likely stable, with no major disruptions or new initiatives that would alter the basic character of what is offered.
For a family considering this school, the picture is straightforward. Housing is affordable, the community is very small and rural, and the school serves a homogeneous student body with a moderate level of economic need. Test scores show a majority of students meeting state benchmarks in reading and math, with a weaker showing in science. A parent who values a tight-knit, low-key rural elementary setting may find this a natural fit. A parent concerned about academic competition or a wide array of specialized programs may want to look further into what enrichment and support the school offers, since those details are not available in the standard data.
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