Original Research by School Decision on Horace Elementary School
Horace Elementary School sits in one of the fastest-growing corners of the Fargo metropolitan area. The city of Horace, about a short drive southwest of downtown Fargo in Cass County, has transformed from a quiet rural community into a booming suburban enclave, with publicly reported population estimates showing dramatic growth since the last census. The city describes itself as holding onto a small-town feel even as new residential development attracts affluent families. The Sheyenne River borders the community to the west, and a federal flood diversion project has helped protect the area from seasonal flooding, making the land more attractive for homebuilding. There is little indication of a walkable downtown core or major local employers within Horace itself; most working residents commute into Fargo, and the built environment is low-density and car-dependent.
The school serves kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the West Fargo 6 school district. Enrollment is moderate for an elementary building, with fairly even distribution across the early grades and a slightly smaller fifth-grade cohort. The student body is overwhelmingly white, with only small numbers of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places this school among the lower-poverty elementaries in the region. Data on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available, so those populations could not be characterized here.
Horace Elementary's state testing results come from the current school year under North Dakota's A-PLUS assessment. Because the state recently changed both the assessment name and its proficiency cut scores, no trend comparison is possible, and a parent should treat these results as a new baseline rather than a continuation of prior years. Across tested grades, math proficiency sits in a moderate range, with third and fourth grades landing in the same band and fifth grade a step above. English language arts follows a similar pattern, with third grade landing lowest, fourth grade matching the middle math band, and fifth grade reaching the school's strongest level. Science was tested only in fourth grade and landed in the same mid-range as the other subjects. Participation was strong across all tested grades.
The overall picture is one of a school where a solid share of students reach proficiency, but where results are middling rather than standout. Fifth grade is the clear bright spot, with both math and ELA reaching the school's highest bands. Third-grade ELA is the softest result, sitting well below the other grades and subjects. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly whether early literacy supports are being adjusted given the new assessment framework.
The housing market around the school reflects Horace's growth and affluence. Typical home values in the school's zip code run well above both the North Dakota state benchmark and the national benchmark, and rents are also elevated relative to the state. With current mortgage rates, the estimated monthly cost of owning a typical home in this area exceeds the cost of renting by a meaningful margin. Rent absorbs a modest portion of typical household income, but buying requires a substantial income or equity position. This aligns with the community's profile: high homeownership, high median household income, and a large share of families with children under eighteen.
No data was available on school staffing ratios, discipline incidents, course or program offerings, attendance patterns, or Title I status, so those dimensions could not be assessed. The district brief for West Fargo 6 did not surface confirmed parent-relevant changes in recent months, and no strategic priorities or specific initiatives were identified from available sources, so that gap is named rather than filled.
What a family gets at Horace Elementary is a school in an affluent, family-heavy suburb that is growing fast and drawing new residential investment. The peer environment is homogeneous and low-poverty. Academic results are adequate but not exceptional, with a clear upward trajectory from third to fifth grade and a new state assessment that resets the baseline. Families drawn to Horace are likely buying into the community and its growth trajectory first, with the school as a steady but not standout part of that package.
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