The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in Math. The lowest is 48% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Orchard Drive Elem.
Orchard Drive Elementary is a kindergarten-through-grade-four public school in Jackson, Missouri, part of the Jackson R-II district. It is one of the district's several elementary buildings, and the district opened a new elementary school for the 2024-2025 school year built with funds from a bond issue voters approved in 2022, so the district has been actively adding capacity. The school itself serves a predominantly white student body, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
The academic picture comes from the Missouri Assessment Program, and the results are a story of two subjects. In math, a solid majority of fourth graders met the state’s proficient or advanced bar, and third graders also showed a strong performance, well above half. In English language arts, the numbers are lower. About half of fourth graders were proficient, while third graders landed just below half. Taking the school’s performance across both subjects and all tested grades and comparing it against other schools in Cape Girardeau County, Orchard Drive places in the top quartile. That is a strength worth noting: among the five districts in the county, this school sits at the higher end of the academic range for an elementary school.
Because the school only goes through fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the data does not include chronic absenteeism rates. The school also has no reported information on special education or English learner populations. A parent who wants to understand how the school supports students with those needs would need to ask the school directly. The same is true for discipline data and course access; those fields were not available in the materials used here.
The student body is overwhelmingly white, with a very small share of students identifying as Black, Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial. The enrollment is moderate for a K-4 building, with roughly even numbers across kindergarten through fourth grade. The free and reduced-price lunch rate means that more than half of the families are considered economically disadvantaged, which is a meaningful financial context for the school community.
Jackson itself is a growing small city. It describes itself as the fastest growing community in Southeast Missouri, and the housing market reflects that growth: home values have been rising, and the area offers a variety of residential neighborhoods from historic homes near the courthouse square to newer subdivisions. The Jackson R-II district has been investing in its facilities, passing a bond issue with no tax rate increase to build a new elementary school and upgrade security, and opening a new Innovation Center with STEM labs at the high school. The district also approved a new five-year strategic plan in 2025 that focuses on academic achievement, social-emotional learning, facilities, and workforce development. The property tax rate has been stable, which provides some predictability for homeowners.
Orchard Drive sits within a community that is experiencing growth and where the school district has been responsive to that growth with new buildings and a clear planning horizon. For a family considering this school, the strongest signal in the data is the math proficiency, which is clearly above the norm for the county. The reading scores are more mixed and fall short of the math results. The school serves a middle to lower-income population, and the size of the building is manageable. The district’s recent bond investment and strategic planning suggest that the broader system is intentional about facilities and programming, but the available data does not tell you what the day-to-day classroom experience is like at this specific school. A visit and a conversation with the principal would be the natural next step for any parent weighing this option.
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