St Paul Elementary School, St Paul NE

Original Research by School Decision on St Paul Elementary School

St. Paul Elementary School is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in the county seat of St. Paul, Nebraska. The town itself is a small, walkable community centered on a historic main street lined with local businesses, a baseball museum, and a block-long historical village near the Howard County Courthouse. The local economy draws on medical, construction, and agribusiness sectors, supplemented by a distillery and a winery, and the population is experiencing slow, steady growth while retaining its modest scale.

The school’s student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and a very small Black population. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a context where economic need is present but not overwhelming. The school does not report data on students with Individualized Education Programs or English learners, so a parent looking into special education services or language support would need to contact the school directly for that information.

State assessment results for the most recent school year present a complicated picture. In reading, proficiency rates varied by grade: about half of third graders, fourth graders, and sixth graders met the standard, while fifth graders showed no proficient scores. In mathematics, every tested grade reported no students reaching proficiency. Science results, available only for fifth grade, also showed no proficient scores. A multi-year trend available for the school indicates that proficiency rates in both reading and math have dropped from higher levels in prior years, though the data for the most recent year is consistent with the low current snapshot. Overall, when compared with other districts in Howard County, the school falls below the midpoint on a combined proficiency index. A parent would want to discuss these results further with the school, particularly the math and science outcomes, to understand what supports are in place.

As an elementary school, St. Paul Elementary does not have a graduation rate or measures of college and career readiness. The school environment data, including disciplinary actions or chronic absenteeism, was not available in the current record. Housing in the area is priced below the state average, making St. Paul a relatively affordable place to live for families who work in the region. The district’s recent changes were not publicly reported, so there is no known shift in leadership or programs to factor into a family’s decision.

For families considering St. Paul Elementary, the school offers a small-town setting where children can attend a neighborhood school through sixth grade before moving on to the district’s secondary schools. The academic picture from state tests is one that warrants attention, especially in math and science, and the absence of data on special populations and school climate means a prospective parent should request that information directly. The community itself provides a compact, historically rooted environment with a range of local employers and civic anchors. The school fits a family that values a rural, close-knit environment and is prepared to engage actively with the school around its current academic results.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 30%

School 0% · District 77% · ▼ 77 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 40%

School 0% · district not reported

even with state median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 59% · ▼ 59 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 83% · ▼ 82 pts below district

even with state median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 63% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 46 pts above state median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 41% · ▼ 41 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 644%

School 44% · District 65% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▲ 37 pts above state median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · district not reported

even with state median

This schoolST PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income45%Higher-income75%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income57%Higher-income45%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income62%Higher-income65%3 pp gap