The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Van-far Elem.
Van-Far Elementary is the sole public elementary school in the Van-Far R-I district, serving students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Vandalia and the surrounding rural area of Audrain County. Because it only serves these elementary grades, there are no high-school-level metrics like graduation rates, advanced coursework, or college-going data associated with this school. This is a small rural school: the student body numbers in the low hundreds, and the grades run from a small pre-K cohort through a similarly sized sixth grade.
The student population is predominantly white, with a modest share identifying as two or more races and very small shares identifying as Black or Hispanic. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that the school serves a community with substantial economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent seeking specific information on special education or language support programs would need to follow up directly with the school.
Missouri’s state assessment results for the 2024-25 school year are reported for grades three through six in math and English language arts, and for fifth grade in science. A parent looking at these results will see a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates for the grades where data is fully reported fall roughly in a range from below a third to just under two-fifths of students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark. In English language arts, the pattern is similar, with rates ranging from just over a third of students to just over two-fifths proficient. Science results for fifth grade were not reported, so no reading is possible there. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it slightly above the midpoint when compared to the other districts in Audrain County. While the school is not an outlier on the low end within this small county cohort, the results suggest that a large share of students are not yet reaching grade-level expectations, and a parent may want to understand what academic support and intervention programs the school offers.
The town of Vandalia itself is a small, rural community located on US Route 54. A significant institutional presence is the women’s state correctional facility within the city limits, which houses a large inmate population that is counted in the town’s census figures. The town’s residential population has been declining in recent years. The community markets its available industrial sites and an Enhanced Enterprise Zone for business relocation, but the overall demographic trajectory is one of slow population loss. Housing in the area is notably affordable relative to the state and national benchmarks, though this reflects the area’s rural, lower-demand market rather than any growth pressures. The school district is one of the town’s key employers, alongside the correctional center.
A search for recent parent-relevant changes at the district level turned up nothing of note. The district appears stable, with no reported major shifts in programming, facilities, or boundaries in the last several years. For a family considering this school, the context is a small, rural elementary with academic results that are middling for its county and a student body that reflects the economic realities of a declining small town. A parent who values a close-knit environment and affordable housing may find the fit right, while any parent concerned about the modest proficiency rates will want to ask what the school is doing to move more students toward grade-level work.
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