The top reported proficiency rate is 9% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Laurel-concord-coleridge Middle School
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Middle School serves grades five through eight in the small village of Coleridge, Nebraska, as part of the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School district. The school building itself, which opened in a past era, now functions as a middle school following the consolidation of the Laurel and Coleridge school systems. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade and in ninth through twelfth grade attend classes in Laurel, roughly ten miles away. This arrangement means the middle school is the only grade level housed in Coleridge, giving the building a focused purpose within a consolidated district.
The school is small, with an enrollment that matches its rural setting. The student body is predominantly white, with small numbers of students who are Hispanic, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or of two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding agricultural community. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
State testing results present a mixed picture that warrants a close look. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math were reported at zero across all four tested grades. The same pattern appeared in English language arts for grades five, seven, and eight, while grade six showed a moderate proficiency rate. Science results were also reported at zero for both tested grades. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, placed it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Cedar County. A multi-year trend shows that the school’s combined English language arts proficiency rate was higher in a prior year and has since declined, while math proficiency also fell from a higher earlier level. Science proficiency, by contrast, was reported at zero in an earlier year and then rose to a moderate level in the most recent year. A parent may want to discuss these results with the school to understand the context behind the numbers, particularly the zero-percent figures that appear across multiple grades and subjects.
The school building itself is in Coleridge, a small farming community that calls itself the Heart of Cedar County. The village is compact and walkable, with a historic Main Street corridor, a veterans memorial plaza, and three active churches that anchor community life. The school building, which opened in an earlier era, now serves only grades five through eight; younger and older students are bused to Laurel. This arrangement is a direct result of the consolidation of the Laurel and Coleridge school systems, a response to broader rural demographic trends rather than growth pressure. Coleridge’s population has been stable to slowly declining, and no major new housing or commercial development has been identified. The village office, volunteer fire department, and rescue squad are the main civic institutions, along with the Community Club and local churches.
Housing in the area is notably more affordable than national benchmarks, with home values well below the national median. The estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is modest relative to national averages, and the price-to-income ratio suggests housing is within reach for many local households. This affordability is consistent with the area’s rural character and stable population.
The district itself, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School, did not have any recent major changes publicly reported. The consolidation that created the current arrangement is already in place, and no new boundary shifts, program overhauls, or facility plans were identified.
For a family considering this school, the central fact is the consolidation structure. Students in grades five through eight attend this middle school in Coleridge, while elementary and high school students go to Laurel. That means a family with children across multiple grade levels will have students in two different towns. The school is small, and the student body is almost entirely white, with a modest share of students from low-income households. The state testing results show very low reported proficiency rates in math and science across all tested grades, and in English language arts for most grades, with only one grade level showing a moderate result. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Cedar County. A parent considering this school would want to have a direct conversation with the administration about academic supports, curriculum, and how the school addresses the learning needs reflected in these scores. The community itself is quiet, rural, and tightly knit, with a strong sense of local identity centered on Main Street and the churches. For families who value a small, consolidated rural school setting and are comfortable with the split-campus arrangement, this middle school offers that specific profile, but the academic data warrants a close look.
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