The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 40% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Holden Elem.
Holden Elementary serves students from preschool through fifth grade in the Holden R-III district, a regular public school in the small rural city of Holden, Missouri. The school sits in a town that bills itself as a place that blends agriculture and industry with a quiet, traditional small-town feel. The student body is largely White, with a much smaller share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of Black, Asian, and multiracial students. About half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that gives a sense of the economic mix of the community.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the school’s proficiency rates across grades three through five land in a band that places Holden Elementary in the top quartile compared to the other school districts within Johnson County. In English language arts, third graders hit just under half proficient, fourth graders a bit lower, and fifth graders posted the strongest result of the three grades. Math proficiency ran lower across the board, with fourth graders again around the same mark as their ELA showing, third graders a little below that, and fifth graders the weakest of the three tested grades. Science, which is tested only in fifth grade, came in at a rate similar to fourth-grade math and ELA. For a parent, these results suggest that while the school’s outcomes are competitive within its county, there is a clear grade-level and subject pattern: fifth-grade math appears to be a soft spot, and a family may want to ask the school what supports are in place for that transition year.
Because the school ends at fifth grade, there is no graduation rate or secondary-level course offerings to report. The program offerings data for the school was not available, so a parent would need to contact the school directly to learn about enrichment, specials, or any before- or after-school activities for elementary students.
The school itself shares a community with a district that has been in a period of uncertainty. The Holden R-III district has tried four times since 2023 to pass a bond issue for a new middle school and security upgrades, each time falling short of the supermajority needed. The last attempt, in August 2024, failed by a very narrow margin, and the following day four of seven school board members resigned. The middle school building, which is older and has known infrastructure issues, remains in use, and the district has not yet put forward a successful replacement plan. This backdrop matters for a family considering the elementary school because those same students will eventually move into that middle school, and the board dynamics may influence future priorities and budget decisions.
The town of Holden offers a low cost of living, with home values well below state and national medians. The community is slowly growing, and recent city investments include a new fire truck and parking lot improvements funded by a voter-approved bond. The town’s civic anchors include a city park, a public library branch, a lake with recreational areas, and a spur of the Katy Trail. Daily life is car-dependent, and the street scene is quiet. For a family looking for an affordable, rural setting where their child can attend a county-competitive elementary school, Holden Elementary fits that profile, with the understanding that the district’s facility challenges and governance churn are live issues to watch.
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