The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in Science. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Boone Central Elem-albion
Boone Central Elementary-Albion serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Albion, Nebraska, a small rural county-seat town that functions as Boone County’s governmental and commercial hub. The school is part of Boone Central Schools, the public district for the area. Because the elementary school serves only early and primary grades, it does not have a graduation rate or the full suite of high-school-level measures; those are reported at the district level.
The school provides one of the earliest education experiences for local children. Its enrollment is small for an elementary school serving multiple grade levels, with a notably large pre-kindergarten program that makes up more than a quarter of the student body, then a steady stream of children in kindergarten through fourth grade. The student body is overwhelmingly white, reflecting the demographic composition of the surrounding community. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic need among the families the school serves.
State testing results from the most recent year are available for English language arts and math in grades three through five, and for science at the fifth-grade level. The science results predate the most recent testing and are based on a prior-year assessment, so they should be considered with that in mind. In English language arts, third and fourth grade students performed at a level that places them above the midpoint when compared across Boone County’s districts, while the small fifth-grade cohort scored lower. In math, the fourth grade group performed at a level consistent with the county’s midpoint, third grade saw no reported proficiency in the data provided, and fifth grade also reported zero proficiency. These extremely low math scores for both third and fifth grade are results any prospective parent would want to discuss directly with the school to understand the circumstances behind them. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint relative to other districts in Boone County, a comparison set that includes two districts.
Trend data from the most recent five testing points shows that the proficiency rate in English language arts has held in a moderate range, while the proficiency rate in math has declined over that same period. A parent looking at this school will want to ask about how math instruction is structured and whether supports or curriculum changes are in place, especially for the grade levels where the most recent performance was low.
Albion itself is a compact, car-dependent town with a traditional downtown centered on the county courthouse. The largest employment sectors are health care, agriculture, and retail. Housing values in the area are modestly above the Nebraska average. The median home price and monthly mortgage costs suggest a level of affordability that remains accessible relative to much of the country, though a small-town market like this may have limited rental inventory. The town has a small, stable, slowly declining population over recent decades, with some indication of modest recent growth. The district did not have any major recent changes, such as boundary shifts, leadership turnover, or program additions that were publicly reported and of lasting impact.
For families considering this school, Boone Central Elementary-Albion offers a typical small-town elementary setting with a strong pre-kindergarten program. The academic picture is mixed. English language arts results are solidly in the middle of the comparative range for the county, while the math performance in particular raises questions that are worth exploring directly with the school. The community is rural, quiet, and family-oriented, with a low-density built environment and short commutes. A parent deciding on this school would do well to inquire about instructional supports for math, the school’s approach to the grade levels where performance is weakest, and how the elementary feeds into the district’s upper grades.
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