The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Wausa Elementary School
Wausa Elementary is a regular public school serving preschool through sixth grade in the village of Wausa, Nebraska. It is part of the Wausa Public Schools district. The school is located on Bismark Street within the small village, and the high school is also nearby, so the whole K-12 experience is contained within walking distance of the town’s main street. The village itself is a mainly residential and agricultural community with a distinct Swedish heritage, home to small businesses such as Viking Lumber and community anchors like Gladstone Park, where the annual Pork Chop Barbecue is held. Wausa’s population has seen a modest decline in recent years, and no major new housing or development projects are apparent. The school is an integrated part of this quiet, slow-changing rural setting.
Enrollment at Wausa Elementary is small, with roughly that size of student body for a PK-6 building. The student population is overwhelmingly white, with a very small number of students who are Asian, Hispanic, Black, American Indian, or of two or more races. About one in six students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a relatively low share compared to many rural elementary schools. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so those counts are a gap that a family might want to discuss directly with the school.
The academic picture at Wausa Elementary carries a notable puzzle. State assessment results for the most recent school year reported zero percent of students scoring proficient in math, reading, and science at every tested grade level. That is an unusual outcome for a regular public school, and it stands in contrast to the school’s own multi-year trend data, which shows that in earlier years proficiency rates were higher. For example, in English language arts the rate was around three-quarters of students proficient at one earlier point, and in math it was over eighty percent. The same trend series shows a later, more recent measurement at about half of students proficient in each subject. The data provided does not explain why the most recent year shows zero percent. It may reflect a change in the test, a reporting error, or some other factor not captured in the data. When compared to other districts in Knox County, Wausa Elementary’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school would be wise to ask the school or district for clarification on the latest test results and what they mean for the current cohort of students.
No graduation rate applies to this school because it serves only elementary grades. The school also does not offer high school-level programs or advanced coursework. The district itself is small, and publicly reported information indicates it received a federal grant for facility improvements, including HVAC upgrades. For a district of this size that is a meaningful investment in the physical learning environment.
Housing in the Wausa area is affordable relative to state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the Nebraska median. This is consistent with the area’s rural character and modest population trend. The local economy is shaped by agriculture and small businesses, and the nearest larger towns are a reasonable drive away.
In short, Wausa Elementary is a very small, majority-white school in a stable rural village. Its academic data contains an unresolved inconsistency that families should investigate. The community offers a quiet, low-cost setting with Swedish cultural traditions, but the school’s recent test results raise questions that the available records do not answer.
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