The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bryan Elementary School
Bryan Elementary School is a regular public school in Lexington, Nebraska, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is one of several elementary schools in the Lexington Public Schools district, which covers a small industrial-agricultural city that serves as the Dawson County seat. The local economy has long been anchored by meatpacking and agricultural industries, with a large Hispanic population that grew alongside the beef packing sector. A major development in the community is the announced closure of the Tyson Foods plant in early 2026, a significant economic shift for a city of this size.
The school enrolls about 400 students. The student body is substantially majority Hispanic, with a smaller share of white students and very small numbers of other racial and ethnic groups. Around half of all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that aligns with the community’s industrial employment base.
State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture that parents will want to examine carefully. In English language arts, proficiency rates varied by grade: roughly half of fourth graders met the bar, while a similar share of third graders did, but no fifth graders reached proficiency. In math, about half of fourth graders were proficient, but both third and fifth graders recorded no students at the proficient level. Science, which is tested only in fifth grade, was a brighter spot, with a strong majority of fifth graders scoring proficient. The pattern of zero proficiency in multiple grade-subject combinations is unusual for a regular elementary school and may reflect very small cohorts, uneven instruction, or other factors a parent may want to look into further with the school directly.
Looking across the district context, Bryan Elementary’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quarter among districts in Dawson County. The comparison set includes five districts, and the school’s index sat well below the middle of that group.
Housing in the Lexington area is notably affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with typical home values well below the Nebraska median and the national median. This can be a practical consideration for families settling in the area. The district itself is currently pursuing an eminent domain action to acquire property, a case headed to district court that could lead to facility expansion or new construction, potentially affecting school capacity and local property taxes down the road.
Bryan Elementary is a school with a diverse, economically mixed student body in a community facing industrial transition. Its academic results are uneven, with some real strengths in science and fourth-grade math and literacy, alongside concerning zeros in other grades. The school’s overall performance relative to nearby districts is low, and families considering it should seek current information on how the school addresses the gaps seen in its testing data and what support is available for students who need it.
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