Summary:
The Bradford School District is served by a single elementary school, Bradford Elementary School, a small rural school with 249 students from Pre-K through 6th grade. This school is notable for its strong upward trajectory, having improved its state ranking from the 8th percentile to the 28th percentile over the last three years, a significant 20-percentile-point jump. A critical factor for parents to understand is that 100% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch, placing the school in the highest category of economic disadvantage, yet it still shows clear, consistent year-over-year academic improvement.
Academically, Bradford Elementary School presents a mixed picture. While overall proficiency in English Language Arts (30.3%), Reading (31.2%), and Mathematics (22.9%) lags behind state averages, the school is a standout in 3rd-grade Science, where 55.5% of students are proficient—a full 10 percentage points above the state average. A fascinating "4th Grade Peak" phenomenon shows that 4th graders consistently meet or exceed state averages, particularly in English Language Arts (45.1% vs. 41.4% state) and Reading (48.4% vs. 40.9% state). However, this success is contrasted by a dramatic 6th-grade drop-off, where proficiency rates plummet, especially in Math (18.2%) and Science (21.2%).
The school's most critical weakness is Mathematics, where no grade level reaches even 33% proficiency, and the overall rate of 22.9% is less than half the state average of 44.1%. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.1:1 and spending of $12,211 per student, the school has resources that are not yet translating into top-tier academic outcomes, suggesting that how funds are allocated may be as important as the amount spent. For parents, this school offers a dedicated environment with clear signs of improvement and specific areas of strength, but also requires targeted support for math and the transition to 6th grade.
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