The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in Math. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Verdigre Elementary School
Verdigre Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade in the small Knox County village of Verdigre. It is a regular public school and the only elementary campus within the Verdigre Public Schools district. The village itself is rooted in agriculture and a Czech-Bohemian heritage, with a historic downtown along Main Street, a public library, and a heritage museum. Settlement patterns are tied to the Verdigris Creek valley, and the community gathers annually for the Kolach Days festival. The population has declined over recent census cycles, and the housing market is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks. The village is not experiencing significant growth, and no major new developments were identified in local searches. The district appears stable, with no evidence of recent referendums, curriculum shifts, or property tax changes.
The school enrolls a small number of students. The student body is predominantly white, with a small Native American presence and very few students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Nearly half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that poverty is a meaningful factor in the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year paint a mixed picture. In mathematics, proficiency rates vary by grade. Third grade shows a level of proficiency near the midpoint, fourth grade is around half, while fifth and sixth grades report no students meeting the proficiency threshold. In English language arts, third grade, fifth grade, and sixth grade all show zero proficiency, while fourth grade is below half. Science results for fifth grade also show no students reaching proficiency. When combined across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among the handful of districts in Knox County that reported comparable data. This is a soft spot that a parent may want to explore further with the school, especially since the pattern suggests that academic achievement drops off in the upper elementary years.
Because the school serves only early and middle elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was not available. The school's small size may allow for close student-teacher relationships, but the test results indicate that many students are not meeting state learning standards in core subjects by the time they reach the upper grades. Families considering this school should ask about the specific support programs in place for reading and math intervention, especially for grades five and six, where the data shows the steepest challenges.
The community context adds another layer. Verdigre is a very small village where most destinations are walkable, and the school sits within the town's compact footprint. Employment opportunities appear limited and primarily agricultural; no major employers were identified in searches. The housing stock is affordable, with home values well below state and national medians, and a homeownership rate above the national average. For a family seeking a quiet, rural setting with a strong sense of local tradition, Verdigre Elementary offers that backdrop, but the academic data suggests that a careful conversation with the principal about curriculum and student progress is warranted.
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