The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Social studies. The lowest is 48% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pecatonica Elementary
Pecatonica Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Hollandale, a very small rural village in Iowa County. The school is part of the Pecatonica Area School District and sits outside the village’s limited commercial core. Hollandale itself is a quiet, low-density bedroom community where most employed residents commute elsewhere for work, often to Dodgeville or the Madison area, and the population has been essentially flat to slightly declining in recent years. Housing values in the area have risen modestly, consistent with trends in the broader region, but the village shows no signs of rapid development or new construction.
This is a small regular public school with a student body that is overwhelmingly white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic mix of the surrounding rural area. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile.
State testing results for the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture that varies notably by grade and subject. Third graders posted strong proficiency rates in both math and English language arts, with a large majority of students scoring at proficient or advanced levels. Fourth-grade performance declined sharply across math, English language arts, and science, with proficiency rates sitting well below the third-grade marks. Fifth-grade results continued a downward trend, with math and English language arts proficiency rates landing in a lower range. Social studies, tested only in fourth grade, produced proficiency rates that fell between the higher and lower ends of the school’s own results. Participation rates were complete across all grades and subjects tested. When measured against other districts in Iowa County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places in the bottom quartile of the county. That county-level comparison set includes five districts, and the school sits below the middle of that group.
Because Pecatonica Elementary serves only through grade five, there is no graduation rate to report. The absence of this metric is a function of the grade band the school covers and does not reflect on the school’s high school outcomes.
The district placed a recurring operating referendum on the April 2024 ballot to maintain programming, staff, and class sizes amid declining enrollment and rising costs. If approved, it would have permanently added to the district’s revenue limit and increased property taxes for district residents. The outcome of that referendum was not available in the data reviewed for this profile, so a parent or resident would want to check with district officials or recent meeting minutes for the final result.
Program offerings, staffing data, discipline rates, and attendance patterns were not present in the data, which limits a fuller picture of day-to-day school life and support structures. A parent considering this school may want to ask the district directly about class sizes, specialist availability, and how the school addresses the drop in proficiency between third and fourth grades. The rural setting, small enrollment, and quiet village character will appeal to families seeking a close-knit elementary experience in a low-density area, while the testing pattern and referendum context are worth exploring further with the school.
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