The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in Math. The lowest is 24% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Verona Elem.
Verona Elementary is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in the Verona R-VII district. It shares a campus with Verona High School on the same street in this very small Ozarks town, roughly an hour from Springfield or Joplin. The school is the only elementary option in the district, so nearly all local families with young children attend here.
The community itself is rural and modest. Verona has seen a steady population decline over recent decades, and the housing stock consists mostly of detached houses and mobile homes at values well below state averages. Median household income in the area is also substantially below the Missouri median, and about half of Verona Elementary students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The town’s built environment is auto-oriented; no downtown commercial district or significant civic amenities such as public parks or libraries appear in available sources. Residents likely commute to nearby larger towns for employment and services.
The school enrolls a small number of students across eight grades, with class sizes that vary by grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic or Latino population making up roughly one in five students, a smaller Asian population, and a tiny share of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial students. No data was reported for the share of students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Academically, state testing results from the Missouri Assessment Program for the most recent year show a picture that warrants careful attention. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranged from a very low level in third grade to about half of sixth graders reaching that bar; fourth grade results were also low. In English language arts, only third grade results were reported due to small group sizes, and those showed roughly a quarter of students proficient. Science results for fifth grade were suppressed, as were several other grade-level figures, likely because the number of test-takers was too small to report publicly. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index falls in a lower tier when compared with other districts in Lawrence County. The county itself has six school districts, and Verona Elementary’s results place it below the midpoint of that group.
A parent looking at these numbers will want to understand what instructional supports are in place. The data does not include information on special education services, gifted programming, or intervention programs. The district’s publicly reported recent changes were minimal, so it is unclear whether any new academic initiatives or staffing adjustments are underway. The school does not offer high school courses, which is expected given its grade span, so there is no graduation rate to consider.
The setting is quiet and small. The school campus serves as a central point for the community, combining elementary and secondary students on one lot. Housing is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, and the cost of living in Verona is low. For families who value a very small rural school with a high level of diversity for the area, and who are comfortable with the academic challenges reflected in the test results, Verona Elementary is the only option in town. For those seeking higher proficiency outcomes or more extensive program offerings, exploring nearby districts may be worthwhile. The data provides a clear starting point, but a direct conversation with the school about classroom practices and student supports would be the next step.
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