The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in Science. The lowest is 25% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Milan C-2 Elementary
Milan C-2 Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the small rural county seat of Milan, Missouri. The town, nestled in Sullivan County, centers on a traditional square with the courthouse and water tower, and the surrounding area is agricultural. The city markets itself as open for business and development, supported by an Enhanced Enterprise Zone, but the local economy appears modest in scale. Publicly reported sources describe a population that declined over the past decade and has since seen a slight rebound.
The school itself is a regular public elementary, part of the Milan C-2 district. Its student body reflects the community’s demographic shift: roughly equal shares of Hispanic and White students, with small numbers of Black and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need in the families the school serves. No data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners was available in the provided information.
On state assessments, the school’s results show a clear pattern. In third grade, about three in ten students scored proficient in both math and English language arts. By fifth grade, that figure drops to roughly two in ten. Sixth grade ELA results show about a quarter of students proficient, while math results for that grade were suppressed. Fifth grade science, a single tested subject at that level, also sits around three in ten proficient. The available participation rates were suppressed, so it is not possible to confirm how many students took the tests. These are low proficiency rates overall.
Relative to other districts in Sullivan County, the school’s overall proficiency index—a combined measure across tested subjects and grades—sits above the midpoint among the two other districts for which data was reported. That means Milan C-2 Elementary performs somewhat better than some of its rural neighbors, but the absolute level remains modest. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask what academic supports the school provides and how the district is working to raise achievement.
Because the school ends at sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as bond issues, levies, or curriculum shifts, so the school’s offerings and operations seem to have been stable in the period covered.
Housing in Milan is notably affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. Home values are well below the Missouri median, and estimated monthly mortgage costs are low. This affordability, combined with the town’s very small footprint, means that families moving into the area will find relatively inexpensive homes within a short distance of the school, which is likely located near the central square. The town has a lending library and a conservation area a few miles away, but no major employers were identified in public records.
For a family considering Milan, this is a small, economically modest community with an elementary school that serves a diverse, low-income student body. Academic results are below state averages, though they hold a middle position among the county’s districts. The school itself is the only public elementary option for the town and the surrounding rural area, and it feeds into the district’s later grades elsewhere. Parents who value a tight-knit rural setting and low housing costs may find this a fit, while those seeking higher test performance or a wider array of programs would want to investigate further.
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