The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cross County Middle School
Cross County Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in the rural town of Stromsburg, Nebraska, as part of the Cross County Community Schools district. It is a regular public school with a very small student enrollment, a demographic profile that is predominantly white, and a substantial share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits in a community that is itself small and slow-growing; Stromsburg is a residential town of modest size in Polk County, with a historic downtown square, brick streets, and a local identity tied to Swedish heritage. The town’s civic anchors, including a Carnegie library and a community center, cluster near that square. The school district itself was formed through a consolidation of the former Stromsburg and Benedict districts, so the middle school is not located in a downtown campus but rather serves a combined rural population.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show a mixed picture. In mathematics, seventh graders reached a proficiency rate that was a strength relative to the school’s own other grades, while sixth and eighth grade math results were reported at a rate of zero. In English language arts, eighth graders showed a moderate proficiency rate, but sixth and seventh grade ELA results were also reported at zero. In science, the eighth grade proficiency rate was zero. These very low figures in certain grades and subjects likely reflect very small cohort sizes, where a small number of students can drive the rate to zero, rather than indicating a universal lack of learning. However, the overall pattern is concerning. The school’s multi-year trend data, which aggregates across all tested grades and students, shows proficiency rates from a recent year that were under seven in ten in both math and ELA, and these aggregate rates were lower than the school’s own earlier figures. Relative to other districts in Polk County, Cross County Middle School’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how instruction is structured for smaller enrollment classes, and about the factors behind the zero-rate results in specific grade-level subjects.
Enrollment is small, which can mean more individualized attention but also fewer course options. The data did not include information on program offerings such as advanced courses, electives, or extracurriculars, so a family would need to contact the school to learn what is available. Data on special education and English learner populations was also missing, and no discipline or attendance metrics were provided. The school, being a middle school, has no graduation rate to consider.
The community context is one of a stable, rural setting with a low pace of growth. Housing costs in the area are below national and state benchmarks, and the town’s median household income is modest. This is a school that serves a tight-knit rural population, but the academic achievement data signals that families looking at this school should inquire directly about the support systems in place and how the school addresses learning gaps, especially in math and science at the middle grades. The district has no notable recent changes that were publicly reported, so the school’s character is largely a product of its long-established rural community and small scale.
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