Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary is a regular public school in Dickinson, North Dakota, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Dickinson 1 district. It sits in a city that functions as the regional hub for southwestern North Dakota, a place shaped deeply by the Bakken oil boom of the 2010s. Dickinson grew rapidly during that period, adding housing and commercial development, and the city now blends residential neighborhoods, commercial strips along Interstate 94 and ND Highway 22, and a walkable downtown core with local shops and civic institutions. The broader city is auto-oriented, with transit limited to a dial-a-ride service, so families considering Lincoln should expect to drive for most errands and activities.
The school's enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, with roughly even distribution across the six grade levels. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, multiracial, American Indian, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a relatively modest share and suggests a less economically pressured student population than many schools serving similar-sized communities. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so families wanting detail on special populations would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Lincoln uses the ND A-PLUS test, which underwent a name and cut-score change in the current year. That means trend comparisons with prior years are not reliable, and the data available represents a single point in time. In math, proficiency rates across third, fourth, and fifth grades land in a middling band, with fifth grade the strongest and fourth grade the lowest. English language arts shows more variation. Third grade proficiency sits in a moderate range, fifth grade is somewhat lower, and fourth grade drops noticeably, with only a small share of students reaching proficiency. Science, tested only in fourth grade, shows a low proficiency rate. A parent may want to look into the fourth-grade ELA and science results further with the school, as those stand out as the weakest areas in the available data. Participation rates are strong across all tested grades and subjects.
Because Lincoln serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not have state testing results for kindergarten through second grade since those grades are not assessed. No neighbor comparison data was provided, so the school's position relative to other Dickinson elementary schools or county peers is not available here. Program offerings, staffing ratios, attendance, discipline, and course access data were also not included, so the picture of what happens inside the classroom beyond test scores is limited. The district brief did not surface any parent-relevant changes such as bond referendums, facility projects, or curriculum shifts, so there is nothing to report on that front.
The housing market around Lincoln reflects Dickinson's oil-driven growth trajectory. Home values in the school's zip code sit above the state benchmark but below the national one, and values have been climbing recently. Rents have eased slightly over the past year. For families weighing buying versus renting, the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home is meaningfully higher than local rent, which may make renting attractive for families who are not yet settled. The price-to-income ratio is moderate, and rent relative to income is manageable, suggesting that housing costs in the area, while rising, have not reached the strained levels seen in some boom-era periods.
Lincoln fits families looking for a conventional public elementary experience in a small-city, prairie setting. The academic results are mixed, with math the relative bright spot and ELA and science showing softer spots, particularly in fourth grade. The community offers civic and recreational amenities, including a public library, museum center, community center with extensive recreation facilities, and a university, though the built environment is designed around cars rather than walkability. Families considering this school would benefit from asking the administration about the fourth-grade ELA and science outcomes, about special population services, and about what enrichment or support programs exist beyond what the state data captures.
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