Elementary Schools in Westside Community Schools

The Westside Community Schools district in Nebraska is home to 10 high-performing elementary schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. While the schools share some common challenges, such as a district-wide chronic absenteeism rate of 19.3%, the data reveals significant disparities in academic achievement across the elementary campuses.

The top-performing schools in the district are Oakdale Elementary School, Carl A Swanson Elementary School, Sunset Hills Elementary School, and Loveland Elementary School. These schools consistently rank among the best in Nebraska, earning 4-5 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger and demonstrating exceptional student proficiency rates in core subjects, often exceeding 70-80%. In contrast, some lower-performing schools like Westgate Elementary and Paddock Road Elementary have proficiency rates in the 40-60% range, well below the district and state averages.

The data suggests that socioeconomic factors may play a role in the observed performance differences, as the higher-achieving schools tend to have lower free and reduced-price lunch rates. However, the lack of clear correlation between per-student spending, student-teacher ratios, and academic outcomes indicates that simply increasing funding or adjusting staffing levels may not be the sole solution. The Westside Community Schools district should examine how resources are being utilized and identify more effective ways to support all students, while also addressing the district-wide chronic absenteeism issue.