Summary:
Johnson County Elementary School is the only elementary school in Johnson County, serving grades PK through 5 with 508 students in a rural, high-poverty area where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.
This school faces significant academic challenges, with test scores trailing state averages across every subject and grade level. In the most recent 2025–2026 school year, math proficiency gaps ranged from 8.2 points (5th grade) to a striking 19.7 points (3rd grade) below state averages, while 5th-grade science lagged by 9.6 points. The school's state ranking has declined steadily over three years, dropping from the 50th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 31st percentile in 2025–2026. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern at 20.9%, exceeding the state average of 17.7% by 3.2 percentage points. The most dramatic decline came in 4th-grade math, which fell from 50% proficiency in 2024–2025 to just 34.5% in 2025–2026, a 15.5-point drop. Third-grade math also fell nearly 10 points during the same period.
Despite these challenges, there are some positive signs. The school invests heavily in its students, spending $13,338 per pupil—above the national average—and maintaining a favorable 14.7:1 student-teacher ratio. Fifth-grade math improved from 31% to 35.9% proficiency, and 5th-grade science also ticked upward slightly, suggesting interventions may be helping older students. The most recent English Language Arts scores (2024–2025) showed gaps of 8.5 to 13.0 points below state averages, though current-year ELA results are pending release in December. For parents, this school offers strong resources and small class sizes, but the combination of high poverty, elevated absenteeism, and declining math performance in lower grades are important factors to consider when evaluating academic support needs.
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