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Kearney School District

320 W 24th St
Kearney, NE 68845-5331
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Kearney School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Nebraska for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 13 public elementary schools serving 4,055 students in Kearney School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public elementary schools in Nebraska.
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Elementary Schools in Kearney School District have an average math proficiency score of 72% (versus the Nebraska public elementary school average of 60%), and reading proficiency score of 57% (versus the 47% statewide average).
The top ranked public elementary schools in Kearney School District are Meadowlark Elementary School, Windy Hills Elementary School and Glenwood Elementary School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Minority enrollment is 24% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Nebraska public elementary school average of 39% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NE)
# Schools
15 Schools
686 Schools
# Students
6,064 Students
208,191 Students
# Teachers
387 Teachers
15,206 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Kearney School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 245 school districts in Nebraska (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 94% has increased from 88% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NE)
#82 out of 246 school districts
(Top 50%)
69%
58%
56%
47%
73%
62%
94%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.38
0.58
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
3%
% Hispanic
17%
23%
% Black
2%
7%
% White
77%
61%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,021 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,464. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,825 is less than the state median of $16,776. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NE)
Total Revenue
$79 MM
$5,080 MM
Spending
$72 MM
$5,511 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,021
$15,464
Spending / Student
$11,825
$16,776

Best Kearney School District ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Elementary Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Meadowlark Elementary School
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: 80-84%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 1%
1010 E 53rd St
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8210
Gr: PK-5 | 399 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 13%
Rank: #22.
Windy Hills Elementary School
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
4211 20th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8220
Gr: PK-5 | 255 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 14%
Rank: #33.
Glenwood Elementary School
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
8105 9th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8240
Gr: PK-5 | 126 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 5%
Rank: #44.
Park Elementary School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
3000 7th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8280
Gr: PK-5 | 275 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 17%
Rank: #55.
Buffalo Hills Elementary School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
6110 11th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8290
Gr: PK-5 | 298 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 12%
Rank: #66.
Kenwood Elementary School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
915 16th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8200
Gr: PK-5 | 385 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 18%
Rank: #77.
Horizon Middle School
(Math: 74% | Reading: 56%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
915 W 35th St
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8120
Gr: 6-8 | 631 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 20%
Rank: #88.
Central Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
300 W 24th St
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8040
Gr: PK-5 | 271 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 44%
Rank: #99.
Sunrise Middle School
(Math: 63% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
4611 Ave N
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8150
Gr: 6-8 | 543 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 27%
Rank: #10 - 1110. - 11.
Bryant Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1611 Ave C
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8190
Gr: PK-5 | 243 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 40%
Rank: #10 - 1110. - 11.
Northeast Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
910 E 34th St
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8230
Gr: PK-5 | 418 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 33%
Rank: #1212.
Emerson Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2705 Ave E
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8270
Gr: PK-5 | 211 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 36%
Rank: n/an/a
Hanny Arram Center
Alternative School
3907 6th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-6900
Gr: 5-12

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 15 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 6,064 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 23%
  • : 94% (Top 5% in NE)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 69% (Top 50%)
  • : 56% (Top 30%)
  • : 73% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NE Dept. of Education

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