The top reported proficiency rate is 49% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bourbon Elementary School
Bourbon Elementary School serves the youngest students in the Crawford County R-I district, enrolling children from prekindergarten through fourth grade. The school sits in Bourbon, a small rural town in Crawford County that grew up along the Old Highway 66 corridor. This is a community shaped by its Route 66 heritage and the surrounding Ozarks foothills, where manufacturing and retail trade anchor the local economy. The town’s population has seen a modest decline in recent years, and the development focus is on heritage tourism and small-town revitalization rather than rapid growth. Driving is the near-universal way of getting around, and the school’s campus is situated along the same corridor that holds the district offices and the municipal center.
Because Bourbon Elementary only goes through fourth grade, state testing results are limited to the grades that are assessed. The available data from the Missouri Assessment Program covers third-grade English language arts, where roughly half of students met the proficiency benchmark. Fourth-grade math proficiency was reported at a lower level, with about one in four students reaching the proficient or advanced mark. Results for third-grade math and fourth-grade English language arts were suppressed, meaning the state did not release them, which sometimes happens when small group sizes or other reporting rules apply. With only three assessments reporting out clearly, the picture is incomplete, but a parent may want to ask the school directly about how early literacy and math instruction are structured across the primary grades. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages all available subject and grade results, places it above the midpoint among districts in Crawford County. That comparison set is small—only two districts in the county—so the distinction is narrow.
The student body is enrolled in classes from pre-K through fourth grade, with a total attendance that is typical for an elementary school of this grade band. Most students are white, and a substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic profile of the town. Data on special education identification and English learner status were not available in the materials reviewed, so those supports would need to be discussed with the school directly. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it operates as part of the Crawford County R-I district, which also includes a middle school and Bourbon High School housed elsewhere in town.
Housing in the surrounding area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, and the local market has seen home values appreciate at a pace that outpaces both state and national trends. That combination of a still-accessible housing stock and rising values is common in slower-growth rural towns that are within commuting range of larger employment centers. Bourbon sits along Interstate 44, which puts it within reach of jobs in Sullivan, Cuba, and beyond.
The district brief turned up no parent-relevant changes such as recent bond issues, curriculum shifts, or board policy updates that a family might need to track. That absence is not itself a concern, but it means any forthcoming developments would come from direct communication with the district.
For a family considering Bourbon Elementary, the school offers a small-town setting with a modestly sized early childhood and primary program. The academic profile shows some bright spots in early reading and a middling position relative to the only other district in the county. The biggest unknowns are the gaps in the testing record and the lack of program detail, which are worth exploring with the school. This is a place that fits a family looking for a neighborhood elementary in a quiet, car-dependent rural community with Route 66 character and a slowly shifting economic base.
See more original research from School Decision →