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South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District

30671 Hwy 14
Fairfield, NE 68938-2757
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 2 public middle schools serving 144 students in South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public middle schools in Nebraska.
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Middle Schools in South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District have an average math proficiency score of 76% (versus the Nebraska public middle school average of 61%), and reading proficiency score of 36% (versus the 44% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 22% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Nebraska public middle school average of 34% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NE)
# Schools
6 Schools
336 Schools
# Students
733 Students
80,801 Students
# Teachers
66 Teachers
6,586 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% 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 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NE)
#166 out of 246 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
67%
58%
40%
47%
55-59%
62%
(21-22)
≥90%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.32
0.52
% American Indian
n/a
2%
% Asian
n/a
3%
% Hispanic
16%
19%
% Black
1%
5%
% White
81%
67%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,093 is higher than the state median of $15,464. The school district revenue/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $19,558 is higher than the state median of $16,776. The school district spending/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NE)
Total Revenue
$16 MM
$5,080 MM
Spending
$14 MM
$5,511 MM
Revenue / Student
$21,093
$15,464
Spending / Student
$19,558
$16,776

Best South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø Middle Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Sandy Creek Middle School
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
30671 Highway 14
Fairfield, NE 68938
(402) 762-3561
Gr: 6-8 | 97 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 28%
Rank: #22.
Lawrence - Nelson Middle School
(Math: 60-69% | Reading: 20-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
850 S Nevada
Nelson, NE 68961
(402) 225-3371
Gr: 6-8 | 47 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 11%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 6 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 733 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 19%
  • : ≥90% (Btm 50% in NE)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 67% (Top 50%)
  • : 40% (Btm 50%)
  • : 55-59% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NE Dept. of Education

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