The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Madison Elementary School
Madison Elementary School, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, sits at the center of a small, rural city in northeastern Nebraska. Madison itself is a county seat shaped profoundly by the Tyson Fresh Meats pork-processing plant, which is the dominant employer. The town is compact and car-dependent, with a modest and slightly declining population. The housing market is a notable point of access for families: home values in the area trail the state median by a visible margin, and the cost of buying is roughly on par with renting, giving buyers relatively affordable entry compared to many Nebraska communities. The school is part of the Madison Public Schools district, which did not have any recent major changes publicly reported.
Enrollment at the school is modest, and the student body is diverse for a rural Nebraska setting. The majority of students are Hispanic, with a substantial white minority and a smaller Asian presence. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic realities of a community anchored by meat processing and manufacturing employment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, which is a notable gap for parents who need to understand the school’s support structure for those populations.
The academic picture is the central area for a family to investigate. State assessment results show proficiency rates at zero percent across all tested subjects and grades for the most recent school year. This includes math in grades three through five, English language arts in the same grades, and science in grade five. A multi-year trend line that the system also reports shows a different set of rates for earlier years, with a proficiency rate in English language arts approaching half of students in one prior year and a math rate above a third of students in another. The meaning of the discrepancy between the trend data and the current year’s reported zeros is unclear from the available information. A parent should ask the school or district directly for an explanation of how to interpret these results, including whether there was a change in the test or the student population tested.
Relative to other districts in Madison County, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. No graduation rate applies because the school does not serve high school grades. Chronic absenteeism data was also not reported, so there is no public picture of attendance patterns at this school.
For parents weighing this school, the profile is mixed in a way that calls for direct follow-up. The community offers a tight-knit, working-class setting with affordable housing and a school that reflects the town’s diversity. The reported academic performance numbers demand clarification before a family can assess whether the school provides the kind of instructional environment they are looking for. Without special population data or an explanation for the test results, a visitor or prospective resident should plan to tour the school, talk to the principal and teachers, and ask about curriculum, intervention strategies, and how the school supports its large population of students from low-income households.
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