The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mockingbird Elementary School
Mockingbird Elementary School is a regular public school in southwest Omaha, serving students from prekindergarten through sixth grade. It is part of Ralston Public Schools, a district that covers parts of the city and surrounding area. The school sits on South 93rd Street, in a residential corridor that is a short drive from the city's downtown core and its major employers.
Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska, a place shaped by Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, historic commercial districts like the Old Market, and an economy anchored by companies such as Berkshire Hathaway and Union Pacific. The downtown cultural strip includes the Henry Doorly Zoo, the Durham Museum, and the RiverFront park system. Outside that walkable core, much of the city spreads in suburban-style development, and Mockingbird's neighborhood reflects that pattern: car-dependent, with a mix of single-family homes and apartment complexes.
The school enrolls a sizable student body for a K-6 building. Most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a population with significant economic need. Racially and ethnically, the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial white minority and smaller shares of Black students and students identifying as two or more races. The share of Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander students is very small. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available in the profile reviewed, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the extent of those programs and services.
Mockingbird's academic picture is drawn from Nebraska's state assessments. For the most recent testing year, the school reported that zero percent of students met the proficient benchmark in mathematics, English language arts, and science at every grade level tested. This is an unusual result. Statewide and in the broader context of Douglas County, such a figure is far below typical performance. Looking at the school's own trend data, the story is not entirely flat: in prior years, proficiency rates were present, even if they were thin. In reading, the all-grades proficiency rate a few years back stood near 30 percent; in math it was above 40 percent. The latest year's result of zero represents a steep drop from those earlier levels. The comparison fact-set places Mockingbird in the bottom quarter of schools in Douglas County when measured by overall proficiency across tested subjects. A parent considering this school would want to ask the district and school leadership directly about the accuracy of this data, the circumstances behind the change, and what steps are being taken to address student learning.
The district that operates Mockingbird, Ralston Public Schools, has made two publicly reported investments in recent years. In 2022, voters approved a bond issue that funded a replacement elementary school, additions at Ralston High School, security upgrades across all eight schools, and infrastructure improvements. The bond was structured to avoid increasing the property tax levy. Separately, the district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, with teacher training carried out over two school years. That shift represents a lasting pedagogical change that should affect how reading is taught in the school's primary grades.
Housing in the area around Mockingbird Elementary sits near the state average for home values, and rents are modest relative to national figures. The local unemployment rate is low, and mortgage rates have been trending near the national average. For families looking to buy or rent in this part of Omaha, the market is not out of step with the wider region.
Overall, Mockingbird Elementary serves a high-need student population in a city with a strong economic base and a district that has recently invested in facilities and curriculum. The school's test results stand out as a significant concern, particularly given the sharp decline from prior years, and any family evaluating this option would be wise to gather more information directly from the school and district about academic supports, interventions, and the path forward.
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