The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sherwood Elem.
Sherwood Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the small, rural town of Creighton, Missouri, located about an hour’s drive south-southeast of Kansas City. The school is part of the Sherwood Cass R-VIII School District, and the elementary, middle, and high school share a single facility on the north side of MO-7, directly across from downtown Creighton. The town itself is compact—covering a very small area—and is primarily residential with a handful of long-running businesses, the oldest being Sherwood Community Bank. Most residents commute to work, with the largest employment sectors in construction, manufacturing, and health care. The school facility sits close to city hall and the post office, making it a central anchor in the community.
The enrollment at Sherwood Elementary is moderate for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and very few students of other racial backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a moderate level of economic need in the community. The district has set long-term goals through a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan, aiming for a high portion of students to pursue post-secondary education, enter the workforce, or serve in the military after graduation, with an emphasis on whole-child development. Families in Creighton and the surrounding rural area feed into this single elementary school.
On the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), Sherwood Elementary’s results show a varied picture across grades and subjects. In English language arts, fourth graders performed at a level that lands near the middle of the road, while third and fifth graders scored lower. In math, the pattern is similar: third and fourth graders showed moderate proficiency, but fifth graders posted notably weaker results. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed, so no reliable comparison is available for that subject. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint when measured against the ten school districts in Cass County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the supports in place, particularly for older elementary students in math and reading.
The town of Creighton itself has seen modest population shifts, with a slight decline in recent years. Housing is predominantly owner-occupied, and home values, while variable depending on the estimate used, have seen some growth. No major new housing developments or commercial projects were identified in available sources. There is no public transit in town, and the rural character means the area is car-dependent for most errands and commuting. Civic anchors are limited to city hall, the post office, and the school; residents likely travel to nearby Harrisonville for additional services like a library or parks.
The school does not serve grades beyond fifth, so there are no graduation rate data to consider. Data on chronic absenteeism and discipline were not available for this report. The available academic results give a grounded sense of where the school’s performance sits relative to its county peers, and the district’s improvement plan signals a focus on post-secondary readiness and whole-child development. For a family, this is a small, rural elementary school in a tight-knit community where the school is a central building and the surrounding town offers limited commercial activity. The housing market is affordable relative to the broader region, and the commute to the Kansas City metro is a factor for working parents.
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