The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Friend Elementary School
Friend Elementary School, located in the small rural community of Friend in Saline County, serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. The town of Friend is a farming and light-manufacturing community along U.S. Highway 6, roughly equidistant from Lincoln and Hastings. Like many rural Nebraska towns, Friend has seen a gradual population decline over the past several decades, and the housing market reflects that, with available home values notably below the state average.
This is a small school. The enrollment is modest for its grade band, with a single classroom per grade likely. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a common indicator of economic need in rural districts. The school does not operate as a charter or magnet institution.
The most striking academic data point concerns the Nebraska state assessment results for the most recent school year. Third-grade math performance was strong, with a proficiency rate that stands out as a genuine strength of the school. However, across every other tested grade and subject -- math in grades four through six, English language arts in grades three through six, and fifth-grade science -- the reported proficiency rate was zero percent. This is an exceptionally unusual pattern, and it is very difficult to interpret without more context from the school or district. Given that the third-grade math result is solid, the zeroes in the other tested areas are unlikely to represent a complete absence of learning. The data may reflect a reporting anomaly, a grade-level cohort effect, or some other issue specific to how the assessments were administered or recorded in that particular year. A parent moving to the area or considering this school should ask the school administration directly about these results and how they characterize student performance.
When compared against other districts within Saline County, the school’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile of the comparison set. This is a county-level picture and reflects the impact of those very low reported percentage figures.
A major and lasting change for the district is that Friend Public Schools has recently consolidated with Exeter-Milligan Public Schools, forming the Exeter-Milligan-Friend Public Schools. This merger is a significant structural development for families. It means that district governance, resources, class sizes, and athletic programs are now organized across multiple towns, which can affect everything from busing to the mix of students a child will eventually attend middle and high school with. For a school that only serves through sixth grade, this consolidation directly shapes the feeder pattern into the upper grades.
The school building itself is located in town, having replaced an earlier structure lost to fire. Community anchors such as the Gilbert Memorial Library, a medical clinic, and city hall are within the small-town footprint. There is no major new housing development to report, and the area’s economic base remains agriculture and distribution.
Given the thinness of consistent assessment data, the academic picture at Friend Elementary is unclear beyond the single strong third-grade math result. The school’s very small size can be a draw for families who want a close-knit, relationship-driven setting, but it also means that the experience can be highly sensitive to the specific cohort of students in any given year. The district merger is the most consequential long-term factor to weigh, as it redefines the educational pathway students will follow after elementary school.
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