The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in Science. The lowest is 65% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bernie Elem.
Bernie Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the Bernie R-XIII district, a small rural school system in the Missouri Bootheel. The school sits within the town of Bernie, a community with a Main Street corridor and a mix of residential and small commercial uses. The town has a lending library and a medical center that serves as a healthcare anchor. The schools are integrated into the town rather than set apart on isolated campuses. The population has been relatively stable but slightly declining over the past decade, and no major new housing or commercial developments were identified in available sources. The district itself recently passed bond issues, though the details and dates were not available, so a parent may want to ask the district directly about any facility or program improvements.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a modest number of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals that this is a community with notable economic need. Class sizes by grade appear to be moderate.
State testing results from the Missouri Assessment Program are available for the 2024-25 school year, though several grade-level results were suppressed for privacy or other reasons, which limits the full picture. Where data is reportable, the picture is uneven. In fourth-grade math, about half of students scored at or above the proficient threshold. Sixth-grade math was a clear strength, with a large majority of students reaching proficiency. In English language arts, fourth-grade results were solid, with roughly two out of three students scoring proficient or above. Fifth-grade science results were also solid, with a similar share reaching proficiency. For third grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade in ELA, results were suppressed, so it is not possible to see the full pattern. When looking at the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, it lands in the top quartile among the districts in Stoddard County, which is a strong position relative to its immediate neighbors. This suggests the school is performing well for a rural elementary school in this part of the state.
No graduation rate data is reported, which is expected since the school serves only through sixth grade. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access was not available in the provided data. Special education and English learner counts were also missing.
For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is that Bernie Elementary is a small-town public school where the academic results are above the local county average in a composite view, with particular strength in sixth-grade math and decent marks in fourth-grade reading and fifth-grade science. The suppressed data for some grades means a parent may want to ask the school directly about those results. The economic context is one of modest means, and the town is not experiencing growth or major investment, so the school is likely serving a stable, established community. This is a school for a family that wants a local, neighborhood elementary in a rural setting where students generally perform well against nearby districts.
See more original research from School Decision →