The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Callaway High School
Callaway High School serves grades seven through twelve in the small, rural agricultural village of Callaway, Nebraska, in the Seven Valleys region of Custer County. The village describes itself as the “Heart of the Seven Valleys,” and its local services include a grocery store, gas station, banks, restaurants, a hardware store, a feed store, a propane and fertilizer plant, a hospital, clinic, pharmacy, and a care home. The school building sits within the compact village footprint, on N Needham Street, and the entire community is small enough that the school, municipal offices, and commercial services are all close together. Civic and school life are integrated within a very small area rather than set on separated campuses.
The high school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and it has a very small enrollment for a secondary school. The student body is predominantly white, and just under half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school environment reflects the broader community’s rural character and slow population decline; the village has seen a modest population loss in recent years, and the district’s enrollment has also declined over a similar span. The district reports that more students leave to attend school elsewhere than choose to attend from outside the district, a net option-out trend that for a small district carries implications for class sizes and program sustainability.
State testing results from the most recent school year show a mixed picture. In seventh-grade math, a majority of students scored proficient. However, in eighth-grade math and in both seventh- and eighth-grade English language arts, no students scored at the proficient level. In eighth-grade science, no students scored proficient either. These results mean that for this testing year, proficiency was concentrated in a single grade and subject. A parent considering the school would want to look into this further with the school to understand what instructional supports and interventions are in place, especially for the older middle school grades.
Callaway High School does not serve grades that typically produce a graduation rate in the same way a four-year comprehensive high school does, so that metric is not available here. The school’s course access and program offerings were not included in the available data, so specific pathways such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career and technical education are not described. Similarly, staffing ratios and chronic absenteeism rates were not reported.
The housing market in the area reflects a small, slow-growth rural community. Home values are well below national averages, making the area relatively affordable. The district’s property tax request has declined over several years while total property valuations have risen, meaning the effective tax levy rate for district residents has decreased, a significant shift in the local property tax burden families pay to support schools. State aid to the district also jumped substantially in recent years, increasing the district’s budget capacity to sustain programs and staffing.
For a family, Callaway High School offers a very small school setting in a rural agricultural community where housing is affordable and the local tax burden on schools has been declining. The student body is small and largely homogeneous. The academic results on state tests are uneven, with a notable gap in middle school reading and math proficiency. A parent would benefit from a direct conversation with the school about academic supports, curriculum choices, and the elective and pathway options available to high school students in a district of this size.
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