The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Riley Elementary School
Riley Elementary School serves the Lincoln area within the Lincoln Public Schools district, a large city district that recently underwent significant infrastructure changes. Riley itself is a regular public elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is not a charter or magnet school.
The student body reflects a community of modest economic means. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, well above the district average. Racially, the school is majority white, with a notable share of students who identify as Hispanic and a smaller but still present share of Black students. There is also a group of students who identify with two or more races.
On state assessments, the picture is uneven and parents will want to examine the latest results closely. In the most recent testing year, third graders showed a moderate proficiency rate in math and a rate just under half in English language arts. However, fourth graders recorded a zero percent proficiency rate in both math and English language arts, and fifth graders also recorded a zero percent proficiency rate in math and science, while reaching roughly half proficiency in English language arts. This pattern of zero-percent proficiency for multiple grade levels in multiple subjects is a striking data point. It may reflect the nature of the testing population at those grade levels in that particular year, but it is an area where a parent should ask the school to explain the specific instructional supports available and how student progress is measured across grades. The school’s overall proficiency index, when averaged across all tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Lancaster County. Multi-year trends show a two-year composite rate in English language arts and math that is well below what many area schools report.
Because Riley is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate or secondary-level program data such as AP or dual-credit offerings to consider.
Lincoln as a place is the economic and governmental anchor of the region, with major employers including the state government, the university, Lincoln Public Schools itself, and healthcare and manufacturing sectors. The city has seen steady population growth and development. The district brief notes that Lincoln Public Schools passed a large bond issue in 2020 that funded construction of two new high schools and a new elementary school, plus renovations, which reshaped school attendance boundaries. In addition, the district began implementing a science-of-reading approach to early literacy across all elementary schools starting in 2023, a district-wide shift in reading instruction that aligns with state law. That could be a particularly relevant piece of context for a family considering Riley, as it aims to improve foundational reading skill development.
For a family looking at Riley, the affordability of housing in the attendance area is a practical consideration. Home values and rents in this part of Lincoln are below national medians, and the monthly cost of renting is slightly less than an estimated mortgage payment at current interest rates. This is a city school in a district that has been investing heavily in new facilities and instructional changes, but the academic attainment data from recent years is a significant factor. Given the pronounced variability in results by grade level and subject, families would be wise to speak directly with the school about how it addresses student learning gaps, what Tier 1 instruction and intervention looks like, and how the new literacy approach is being implemented in the classroom.
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