The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on New Boston Elem School
New Boston Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in a small Mississippi River town in Mercer County, Illinois. The school has a modest enrollment of elementary-aged students spread across all the primary grades. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of students identifying as Hispanic, multiracial, or Black. Free and reduced lunch participation data is not available, though the district has implemented free meals for all students beginning in the 2025-2026 school year through the Community Eligibility Provision, a direct ongoing benefit for every family.
The school sits in New Boston, a declining river community of roughly a few hundred residents that has been losing population steadily for decades. The town's economy depends heavily on farming and seasonal grain production work; most working-age residents commute to Muscatine, Iowa or to the Quad Cities area for employment. New Boston Elementary is the only K-5 school in town. Older students travel to Mercer County Junior High and High School in nearby Aledo. The community's civic life centers on the Mississippi riverfront rather than schools, with Lock and Dam 17 and the town's boat ramp and campground as primary attractions. The housing market is small but active, with median home values modest by state standards and homes selling at a typical pace. The town has few businesses and no significant new residential development activity.
Academic performance at New Boston Elementary shows mixed results across grade bands. In English language arts, students in grade four achieved proficiency at a stronger rate, while grades three and five showed lower proficiency. Mathematics performance is weaker, declining notably across the elementary years, with proficiency dropping sharply by grade five. In science, the grade five assessment showed proficiency slightly above the midpoint. Notably, the school's overall proficiency index positions it in the top quartile relative to districts in Mercer County, though the data indicate that a parent may want to look further into the school's specific instructional strategies, particularly in mathematics support at the upper elementary level.
Testing participation was full across all reported assessments. Sixth through eighth grade assessment results do not appear because the school serves only through fifth grade. State assessment results for prior years are not available to show trend data.
The school operates as a regular public elementary school and is not a charter or magnet school. Title I status data were not provided. Special education or English learner enrollment counts are not available. The district's website and publicly reported materials do not indicate specialized academic programs, dual-credit offerings, or alternative pathways at the elementary level. The school appears to offer traditional grade-level instruction without documented enrichment tracks or alternative pedagogies.
A recent development affecting the district may be of interest to families considering the area: voters rejected a significant bond referendum in April 2025 for facility and security improvements to Mercer County High School, leaving long-standing facility and security needs unaddressed. This defeat signals a community dynamic that may persist and could affect the district's capital capacity for years. By contrast, the district's decision to implement universal free meals for all students is a concrete financial benefit beginning this school year.
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