The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in Science. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Alexander Elem.
Alexander Elementary is the single PK-through-8 school serving the Slater School District in rural Saline County, Missouri. For a parent considering this school, the picture is straightforward: a small, rural school where nearly every student faces economic disadvantage, state test scores are low across most grades and subjects, and the surrounding town is slowly shrinking. This is a school that serves a community with real needs, and the academic results reflect that context.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Black students and a smaller share of Hispanic students. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. Every single student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a level of economic concentration that is rare and signals that the school operates in a high-poverty setting. The enrollment of just over 200 students is spread across grades PK through 8, giving each grade a modest cohort. Older elementary and middle-school grades tend to have somewhat larger classes than the very youngest and the oldest grade, but the overall feel is intimate. The school is a neighborhood institution, not a large regional campus.
On state assessments, the results are soft. In math, proficiency rates for grade 3, grade 4, and grade 5 each stand well below 20 percent. Grade 7 posts a somewhat higher share, but that still leaves most students below the proficient bar. Grade 8 drops back down. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: grade 4 and grade 5 results are low, while grade 7 again shows a somewhat higher share of students meeting the proficiency standard. Results for several grades in both subjects were suppressed, likely because the tested group was too small to report under state privacy rules; a parent may want to ask the school directly how those cohorts performed. In science, available results for grade 5 and grade 8 also show a modest share of students reaching proficiency. A parent looking at these numbers should understand that the school is serving a population with high economic need, and test scores in such settings often lag state averages. That does not mean the school is failing its students in every sense, but it does mean a parent should ask what academic interventions and supports are in place, especially in early elementary reading and math.
Because the school goes only through 8th grade, there is no graduation rate to report. High school students attend a separate building within the Slater district. The school does not appear to offer specialized programs like dual credit or career pathways, which is typical for a PK-8 building in a small district.
The community of Slater is a rural town that has experienced gradual population decline over the past several years. The housing vacancy rate is high, and home values are well below the state and national averages. For a family moving into the area, housing is affordable relative to much of Missouri. The town has a public library, a park system, and an annual fall festival. Major private employers were not readily identifiable from public sources, meaning the school district itself is likely one of the larger local institutions. A family considering this school should be comfortable with a small-town setting where the school is deeply embedded in the community, and where economic challenges are visible in the student population.
When compared to other districts in Saline County, Alexander Elementary’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among those districts for which data was available. That is a narrow comparison, but it suggests that while the absolute numbers are low, neighboring districts in the same county face similar challenges. The school is not an outlier in a negative sense within its local context.
For a parent, the core question is fit. This is a school where a substantial share of students are likely to need additional academic support, where the peer environment reflects a high-poverty community, and where the town offers limited commercial amenities and a shrinking population base. A family that values a small, rural school with strong community ties, and that is prepared to be actively involved in their child’s academic progress, may find this a perfectly workable environment. A family looking for higher average test scores, broad program offerings, or a growing community with new housing and amenities would likely need to look elsewhere. The school’s website and the district office are the right places to ask about specific reading and math intervention programs, class size in the primary grades, and what the school does to support students who arrive below grade level.
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