The top reported proficiency rate is 18% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Blue Hill Elementary School
Blue Hill Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the small, rural community of Blue Hill, Nebraska. The school is part of Blue Hill Community Schools, the local public district. Because the school serves only elementary and middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report here; that measure applies to the district’s high school.
The school’s enrollment is small, which is typical for a school in a community of this size. The student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that positions the school below the national average for economic disadvantage.
State test results are available only for grade six in math and English language arts, and for grade five in science. For the other tested grades, third through fifth, the proficiency rate was reported as zero percent. A note of caution is in order: in a very small school, a zero percent figure for a grade level can mean that all students tested fell short of the proficiency cut, or it can reflect conditions such as very few test-takers or data suppression. A parent may want to ask the school directly how many students in each grade took the assessments and what the classroom picture looks like. For the sixth grade, the picture is clearer. In math, a substantial majority of sixth graders scored proficient. In English language arts, just over half of sixth graders met the proficiency bar. In science, only fifth graders are tested, and that group recorded a zero percent proficiency rate, which again is worth investigating given the small cohort size.
What the data does not provide are figures for special education identification or English learner status, so it is not possible to characterize the school’s support programs for those populations from this information. Discipline data, course access, and staffing information are also absent, so a full picture of the school’s daily environment and resources is not available from the record.
Blue Hill itself is a quiet, rural village with a traditional grid layout. The town’s population has declined over the long term, and no major new development is evident. Most residents own their homes, and the community is described as having a notable retiree population. The school sits within the town’s compact footprint, alongside the city building, a senior center, and local churches. For families, this means the school is integrated into the center of town life, with most daily needs within a short distance. The nearest larger city for shopping, healthcare, or other services is roughly a half-hour drive north. Housing values in the area are well below the national median, and the cost of living is low, which may be a draw for families seeking affordability.
No recent district-level changes, such as bond measures, boundary adjustments, or program additions, were found in publicly available information. The district appears stable in its operations.
Blue Hill Elementary School offers a small, rural setting where a family can expect a tight-knit school community. The academic picture on state tests is uneven, with strong performance in sixth-grade math alongside grades where proficiency was absent or low. Given the very small enrollment in each grade, classroom-level variation can be large from year to year, and parents considering the school should feel comfortable asking the principal or teachers about current classroom achievement, instruction, and how the school supports students who need extra help. The school is a reasonable fit for families who want an intimate elementary experience in a low-cost rural community and who are comfortable engaging directly with the school to understand its academic reality beyond the limited test data available.
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