Original Research by School Decision on Dorothy Moses Elementary School
Dorothy Moses Elementary sits on Columbia Drive in Bismarck, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Bismarck Public School District, the largest district in North Dakota. The school draws from a city that functions as the state's political and economic anchor. Bismarck is the state capital, with a downtown core of small shops and restaurants, two major hospital systems, and the North Dakota State Capitol complex just north of downtown. The broader built environment is largely auto-oriented, with Interstate 94 running through and the Missouri River forming the western edge. The city has grown steadily, and the school district has been responding with facilities investment, including a bond referendum passed earlier this decade that funded new construction and building additions across the district.
The student body at Dorothy Moses is one of the more diverse elementary populations in the area. White students make up the largest single group, but a substantial portion of the enrollment comes from American Indian and Alaska Native families, along with smaller but meaningful numbers of Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and multiracial students. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a defining characteristic of the school's population and points to a community where economic need is common. The school does not report IEP or English learner figures in the data available here, so those populations, if present, are not visible in this account.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results come from the current year under the ND A-PLUS assessment. Participation is strong across all tested grades. In math, third-grade proficiency falls in a low range, fourth grade lands in a middling band, and fifth grade sits just below the fourth-grade level. In English language arts, third grade is again low, fourth grade improves to a mid-range band, and fifth grade reaches the same level as the fourth-grade math results. Fourth-grade science proficiency lands in a range that matches the school's better ELA and math showing. When all grades are combined, ELA and math proficiency sit below the midpoint, while science comes in somewhat higher. These results are a single-year snapshot. The state changed its assessment name and cut scores, so trend comparison with prior years is not possible, and there is no multi-year trajectory to read here.
The pattern across grades is worth a parent's attention. Third grade is consistently the weakest, in both math and reading, while older grades perform better. This could reflect how cohorts differ year to year, how students progress as they move through the grades, or how the school's instruction builds over time. A parent looking at these results may want to ask the school directly what is driving the third-grade dip and what supports are in place for early learners.
Housing in the school's zip code sits above the statewide typical home value and close to the national figure. Rents are modest relative to owning, and the gap between a monthly mortgage payment and rent is wide enough that renting remains the more affordable option for many families in this area. Mortgage rates have been holding in the mid-sixes, and unemployment has been stable. For families considering a move to this attendance area, the housing market is more expensive than much of North Dakota but in line with national norms, and the rental market offers a lower-cost entry point.
What the data does not cover is as relevant as what it does. There is no information on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance patterns. The school's Title I status is not reported here, though the free and reduced-price lunch rate suggests the school likely qualifies for and may receive federal support for low-income students. Program offerings, extracurriculars, and any specialized instruction are not described in the available data. A parent weighing Dorothy Moses against other Bismarck elementary schools would want to visit, ask about classroom support for early grades, and understand how the district's growth and facilities investments are affecting this particular building.
See more original research from School Decision →