The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Science. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Meadow Lane Elementary School
Meadow Lane Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Lincoln Public Schools district in the eastern part of the city. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school.
The student body is over half white, with a Hispanic population making up a substantial share of the remainder and smaller groups of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a meaningful share. Data on the number of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
State testing data for the 2024-25 school year shows a mixed picture. In reading, third graders reached proficiency at a modest rate and fourth graders at a slightly higher rate, but fifth graders fell to a lower level. In math, third graders were around the midrange, while fourth grade had no students reach proficiency and fifth graders were at a lower share. Science results for fifth graders were stronger, with a majority meeting proficiency. Compared to other schools in districts across Lancaster County, Meadow Lane’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades landed in the bottom quartile of the group that had data available. Because only a few schools in the county reported this year’s data, the comparison set is small, but the position is clear.
This is a larger elementary school by enrollment for its grade band. The building sits on Vine Street in a residential area of Lincoln. The city itself is the state capital, with government, the university, healthcare, and a growing tech sector anchoring the economy. Lincoln’s population has been growing steadily. Housing in the neighborhood at the time of this analysis was priced in the midrange for the area, and the typical local home value had seen moderate increases. Rental costs were also in a moderate range relative to typical local incomes, though affordability pressures are present nationally.
The Lincoln Public Schools district has been through significant physical change recently. A major bond issue funded two new comprehensive high schools that opened in the last few years, along with a new elementary school and renovations, which reshaped attendance boundaries across the city. The district also started a shift toward a science-of-reading approach for early literacy instruction in elementary schools beginning a few years ago, aligning with a state requirement. A parent moving into Meadow Lane’s zone may want to understand how the boundary changes affect this neighborhood.
Meadow Lane does not have a graduation rate to report because its grade band ends at fifth grade. Discipline, attendance, and staffing data were not available for this school in the records used here. The school’s Title I status was not indicated in the data.
For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is the state testing picture. The results are uneven across grades and subjects, with a particular soft spot in fourth-grade math and a notable drop in reading by fifth grade. Given that more than half of students are in poverty and the school is large, the academic pattern may reflect the challenges of serving a high-need population. A parent may want to talk to the principal about interventions, how the science-of-reading rollout is affecting early grades, and what supports are in place for students who fall behind. The stronger fifth-grade science results suggest that some instruction is working well. The broader Lincoln housing market is fairly stable, and the district offers a wider range of high school options than it did just a few years ago, which may matter for a family’s long-range planning.
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