The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Covel D. Searcy Elem.
Covel D. Searcy Elementary serves students from preschool through fourth grade in Gallatin, the small rural seat of Daviess County, about a seventy-five-mile drive northeast of Kansas City. The elementary is one of three buildings in the Gallatin R-V district, followed by a middle school and a high school, all clustered within or near the town. Gallatin itself has a multigenerational character, with a noticeable share of both households with young children and residents sixty-five and older. Its civic life centers on a traditional courthouse square anchored by the historic Daviess County Courthouse, and the local branch of the county library is in town as well. Population growth has been very slow, with a small rebound after a period of decline. The local weekly newspaper ceased publication a few years ago, which is one marker of the constraints small towns face. For a family considering this school, the town offers a quiet, low-density setting with limited commercial activity and no major walkability infrastructure.
The school enrolls a small student body for the pre-K–4 grade band. The student population is overwhelmingly white, with a very small number of students from other racial backgrounds. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that matches the area’s modest income profile. The school is a regular public school and has no charter or magnet status. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the availability of special education and language support services.
State testing results cover the grades the school actually tests—third and fourth graders in math and English language arts. The school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile among the small set of districts in Daviess County, which is a meaningful strength in this local context. Reading results in third grade were somewhat stronger than in fourth, while math proficiency was similar across both tested grades. For a school serving the primary grades, these numbers give a reasonable snapshot of early academic footing, but they only cover two grades and two subjects, so they are not a full picture of every child’s experience. Science testing data is from many years ago and is too old to be useful; the state may not currently test science at these grade levels, but the available data does not confirm that.
No information was available on attendance rates, chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, or staffing. These are significant gaps for a parent trying to gauge day-to-day school climate. The district brief turned up no recent notable changes or strategic developments, so there is little to report on what the administration is prioritizing or adjusting.
In terms of where this school fits a family, it offers a small-town, early-elementary experience in a district where students stay together through a single elementary, middle, and high school pathway. Academic results are solid relative to other districts in Daviess County, and the school serves a mostly homogeneous student population in a very slow-growing community. A parent weighing a move into the area should consider the limited local employment base—the school district and county government are likely among the larger employers—and the low-density, car-dependent layout of the town. The housing market in the area is priced below the national median, which may be relevant for families looking for an affordable entry point into homeownership. The school does not serve grades that would produce a graduation rate, so that measure does not apply here.
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