The top reported proficiency rate is 12% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Seymour Elementary School
Seymour Elementary School is a regular public school in Ralston, Nebraska, serving prekindergarten through sixth grade as part of Ralston Public Schools. Ralston is a small, predominantly residential suburb of Omaha, landlocked by Omaha and La Vista, with a compact downtown and a history of industrial redevelopment. The city is nearly built out, so recent growth has come through redevelopment projects like the renovation of the Granary into a business and entertainment venue and the designation of a creative district. The school itself sits within this stable, built-out community.
The student body is diverse. White students make up roughly half the enrollment, Hispanic students account for about a third, and Black, multiracial, Asian, and American Indian students each make up smaller shares. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a substantial share that places the school in a moderate-to-high poverty context for the area. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and serves a neighborhood attendance zone within the district.
State testing data for Seymour Elementary presents a mixed picture that a parent will want to examine closely. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates in math and English language arts were reported at zero percent for several grade levels, while one grade level showed a proficiency rate in English language arts that was well below the midpoint. Science results were also reported at zero percent. The multi-year trend data, however, tells a more complicated story. In the most recent year, the school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades placed it in the bottom quartile among districts in Douglas County. Yet the trend data shows that in an earlier year within the same testing series, the school's overall proficiency in English language arts was substantially higher, and math proficiency was also higher. This sharp decline over time is something a parent will want to discuss directly with the school to understand what has changed in instruction, assessment, or student population.
The school is a regular neighborhood school, not a charter or magnet. It serves a student body where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a moderate-to-high poverty rate for the area. The school does not report data on students with individualized education plans or English learners, so a parent seeking information on special education or language support services would need to ask the school directly.
Ralston Public Schools has made two recent district-wide changes that affect Seymour. In 2022, voters approved a bond issue to fund district-wide renovations, including a replacement elementary school, classroom additions at the high school, and security upgrades across all schools. The district structured the bond to avoid increasing the property tax levy. Separately, the district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with science of reading principles, with teacher training conducted over two school years. This means Seymour's reading instruction has undergone a recent, systematic shift.
State testing results for Seymour are sparse and difficult to interpret. In the most recent testing year, proficiency rates were reported at zero percent in math for grades three through six, in English language arts for grades three, five, and six, and in science for grade five. Only one grade level, fourth grade, showed a non-zero proficiency rate in English language arts, and that rate was below the midpoint. The multi-year trend data, however, shows that in an earlier year within the same testing series, the school's overall proficiency in English language arts was substantially higher, and math proficiency was also higher. This pattern of reported zero-percent rates in the most recent year, combined with higher rates in prior years, is unusual and a parent will want to ask the school directly for an explanation. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Douglas County.
The school does not report data on chronic absenteeism or on students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent seeking information on those areas would need to contact the school. Because Seymour serves only through sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report.
Ralston Public Schools has made two recent district-wide changes that affect Seymour. A bond issue approved by voters in 2022 funds district-wide renovations including a replacement elementary school, classroom additions at the high school, and security upgrades across all schools, structured to avoid increasing the property tax levy. The district also adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with science of reading principles, with teacher training conducted over two school years. This means Seymour's approach to reading instruction has been systematically updated.
Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, with home values and rents both showing modest year-over-year increases. The typical home value and rent in the zip code are below the national median, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is slightly higher than the typical rent, a pattern that reflects the current interest rate environment. The national unemployment rate is low, and real median household income has been relatively stable in recent years.
Seymour Elementary is a neighborhood school in a stable, built-out suburb. The state testing picture is unusual, with zero-percent proficiency rates reported across most grade levels and subjects in the most recent year, a pattern that diverges sharply from the school's own prior performance. A parent considering this school will want to have a direct conversation with the principal or district office about what the testing data reflects and what steps are being taken in response. The district's recent investment in a science-of-reading curriculum and the facilities bond indicate a commitment to improvement, but the testing results raise questions that only the school can answer.
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