The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Anderson Elem.
Anderson Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the small, rural town of Anderson, Missouri, part of the McDonald County R-I district. The school sits in a community that was historically known as the “Strawberry Capital of the World” and remains a traditional small town, with civic life centered on a Main Street corridor, a historic theater, and easy access to Interstate 49. The town’s population has grown modestly in recent years, though no major new housing developments or commercial projects were identified in publicly available information. The district itself did not appear to have any recent bond issues, curriculum changes, or property tax shifts reported in search results.
The student body at Anderson Elementary draws primarily from the surrounding area and is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and very small numbers of Asian and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Class sizes across grades kindergarten through fifth are moderate, with a similar number of students in each grade level. The school offers a pre-kindergarten program.
State testing results from the Missouri Assessment Program show a mixed picture. In English language arts, fourth grade students reached a level where roughly half met proficiency expectations, a notably stronger result than the school’s third and fifth grade cohorts in the same subject. Math results were lower across all three tested grades, with third grade just above one-third proficient, fourth grade slightly higher, and fifth grade showing less than one in four students proficient. In fifth grade science, about one in three students scored proficient. A parent considering this school should look into these patterns with the school to understand instruction and support, particularly given the range across grades.
When placed among other districts in McDonald County, the comparison set is too small to provide a meaningful academic benchmark for Anderson Elementary. The school’s grade band, serving only through fifth grade, means there is no graduation rate to examine. No data was available on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, staffing, or attendance. The student-teacher ratio, special education and English learner counts, and participation rates for state assessments were also not reported for this school year.
For families, Anderson Elementary serves as the primary elementary option within the McDonald County R-I district for the Anderson area. The housing market in the town’s zip code has seen home values rise noticeably over the past year, though they remain somewhat below the statewide Missouri benchmark. A typical mortgage payment on a median-priced home here would be a modest share of a median household income, making the area relatively affordable on a national scale. The town’s rural character means limited walkability and car-dependent transportation.
This school fits a family seeking a small-town, rural elementary setting with a traditional public school structure and a pre-kindergarten option. The uneven state test results, particularly the drop in fifth grade across both math and reading, are worth a direct conversation with the school to learn about curriculum, intervention programs, and any grade-level transitions that might affect student performance. The absence of broader academic comparison data for the county means families will want to rely on their own visits and conversations with staff to gauge the school’s academic strengths and areas of focus.
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