The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in Science. The lowest is 54% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Walt Disney Elem.
Walt Disney Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Springfield, Missouri, part of the Springfield R-XII district. The school sits in the southern part of the city, near the intersection of Fremont Avenue and Sunshine Street, a mix of residential and commercial development. Springfield itself is a mid-sized regional hub, the third-most-populous city in Missouri, anchored by major employers in healthcare, retail, and manufacturing: CoxHealth, Mercy, Bass Pro Shops, and O’Reilly Auto Parts are all headquartered here. The city has a downtown with a historic square and university campuses nearby, and its growth has been modest in recent years, reflecting a stable rather than rapidly expanding market.
Disney Elementary enrolls a moderately sized student body. The student population is predominantly white, with notable Asian and Hispanic representation, smaller Black and multiracial shares, and a very small American Indian presence. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that is below the typical share for a Missouri elementary school in a mid-sized city, placing the school in a somewhat more advantaged socio-economic context than many of its peers.
Academically, the school performs well on Missouri’s state assessments. In mathematics, proficiency across grades three through five is solid and consistent. English language arts scores show a clear upward trajectory: proficiency in third grade is strong, rises noticeably in fourth grade, and reaches a high level in fifth grade. Science, tested only in fifth grade, also shows a strong proficient rate. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to other districts in Greene County. A parent looking at these results will see a school where student achievement is reliably above the county midpoint and where skills in reading and writing tend to improve as students move through the grade levels.
What is not available in the data are details on programs beyond the core academic offerings, such as art, music, physical education, or any special academic tracks. The school’s website may carry that information, but the publicly reported academic and demographic profile does not include them. Similarly, no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline are present, so a family concerned about those dimensions would want to ask the school directly.
The broader district, Springfield R-XII, has been active in facility improvements: voters approved a bond issue in 2023 that funds HVAC, roofing, safety upgrades, and classroom renovations across the district without raising the property tax rate. That means Disney Elementary’s physical plant may see updates as part of that schedule, though specific timing is not given. The district also launched a middle school redesign that does not affect this elementary directly.
Housing in the zip code that serves Disney Elementary is priced near the state benchmark, with home values having edged up modestly over the past year. Rents have risen a bit more sharply. The area’s affordability relative to income is roughly in line with national averages, meaning a typical home purchase or rental does not require an unusual share of household income. For families moving to the area, the housing market in this part of Springfield reflects the moderate, steady pattern of the city as a whole.
For a parent or resident evaluating Walt Disney Elementary, the picture is of a school with above-average academic results in a stable, mid-sized city. The student body is not especially diverse by national standards but includes several racial and ethnic groups. The economic mix is weighted toward lower poverty than the district average. The key missing piece is information on enrichment offerings and student support programs, which a family should investigate further. On the academic evidence available, this is a school where a student can expect to meet or exceed grade-level expectations in reading, math, and science by the time they leave fifth grade.
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