The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Science. The lowest is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pershing Elementary School
Pershing Elementary School serves only fourth and fifth graders in Lexington, Nebraska, as part of Lexington Public Schools. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and its grade band is narrow, meaning students attend for just two years before moving on to a middle school. The school sits on the north side of town, near the residential fabric of a small industrial-agricultural city that is the county seat of Dawson County.
Lexington is a community where the economy has long centered on meatpacking, with Tyson Foods as the dominant employer until it announced it would close its beef packing plant, a major disruption for a city of this size. The city has a substantial Hispanic population, and that demographic profile is reflected clearly in Pershing’s student body: a large majority of students are Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black students and white students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of the economic context families navigate. Data on English learner status and special education enrollment was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the resources and supports for those students.
Academically, the picture is mixed. On state assessments, proficiency rates in English language arts were below typical levels for both grades served, and math proficiency rates were reported at zero, which is unusual and warrants a direct conversation with the school to understand what that figure reflects about instruction, assessment, or student preparation. Science results for fifth grade were stronger, with roughly half of students meeting proficiency. The comparison to other districts in Dawson County places Pershing at the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In prior years, the school posted higher math and science results than the most recent data show, which suggests performance has declined, though the assessment change flags indicate these trends should be interpreted with caution. The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report.
The school's environment is conventional for a small-district elementary. There is no information available in the data about discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, course access, or staffing ratios, so those are gaps a prospective parent would need to fill through a school visit or inquiry. The district is currently pursuing an eminent domain action to acquire property, publicly reported as headed to district court. That signals potential facility expansion or new construction, which could affect school capacity and the direction of district spending.
For a family considering Pershing, the central takeaway is that this is a school serving a high-needs population in a community facing economic transition. Academic proficiency is an area of concern, and the gap between the school’s results and those of other Dawson County districts is wide. A parent choosing this school will want to understand what academic supports are in place, how the school is responding to the performance data, and what the district’s plans for facility investment might mean for the building their child attends. The school’s narrow two-year span means the fit is less about a long-term path and more about whether fourth and fifth grade are a good staging ground for what follows.
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