Nebraska
1,074 Schools270 Districts325K Students
$21,710
Avg Per-Pupil Spend
+51% nat'l39.6%
Free Lunch Rate
-12.6pp vs nat'l83.2%
Graduation Rate
-3.3pp vs nat'l56/100
Opportunity Score
ModerateAbout Nebraska Public Schools
Nebraska's 244 school districts operate under a strong local control ethos with a unique state assessment system: the Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) measures student growth rather than purely proficiency, and the state has historically resisted standardized testing mandates more aggressively than most. Omaha Public Schools is the state's largest urban district and has pursued an aggressive community school and wraparound services model. The Elkhorn and Millard suburban districts, located in the Omaha metro, consistently rank among the highest-performing in the Midwest. Nebraska has above-average teacher pay relative to its cost of living and relatively stable school funding driven by the TEEOSA (Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act) formula.
Largest District
OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
50K students
Highest Per-Pupil
EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNIT 13
$208,333/student
Top Graduation Rate
GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
98.0% grad rate
School Districts (270)
Per-pupil spending in Nebraska ranges from $11,513 to $208,333 across districts with available data. State avg: $21,710.
| District | Schools | Students | Per-Pupil | Grad Rate | Free Lunch | Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Districts — 10,000+ Students | ||||||
| OMAHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 107 | 50K | $17,584↓19% | 76.6%↓8% | 0.0%↓100% | 40 |
| LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 72 | 41K | $14,943↓31% | 81.9% | 37.5%↓5% | 46 |
| MILLARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 36 | 24K | $13,267↓39% | 92.5%↑11% | 26.3%↓34% | 49 |
| PAPILLION LA VISTA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 22 | 12K | $13,821↓36% | 95.0%↑14% | 26.5%↓33% | 51 |
| ELKHORN PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 20 | 11K | $13,062↓40% | 97.3%↑17% | 10.4%↓74% | 53 |
| Medium Districts — 1,000–9,999 Students | ||||||
| GRAND ISLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 23 | 9,990 | $13,910↓36% | 83.0% | 43.8%↑11% | 58 |
| BELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 21 | 9,498 | $14,102↓35% | 92.0%↑11% | 40.8% | 46 |
| GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 10 | 6,529 | $27,971↑29% | 98.0%↑18% | 10.0%↓75% | 60 |
| WESTSIDE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 14 | 6,271 | $15,826↓27% | 89.0%↑7% | 26.8%↓32% | 49 |
| KEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 15 | 6,152 | $12,031↓45% | 90.0%↑8% | 38.4% | 53 |
| FREMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 14 | 5,217 | $13,169↓39% | 86.0% | 58.5%↑48% | 49 |
| NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 12 | 4,518 | $13,776↓37% | 90.0%↑8% | 52.5%↑33% | 53 |
| COLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 9 | 4,111 | $14,070↓35% | 84.0% | 50.5%↑28% | — |
| SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS | 8 | 3,783 | $14,941↓31% | 92.0%↑11% | 69.7%↑76% | 41 |
| NORTH PLATTE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 12 | 3,782 | $13,728↓37% | 88.0%↑6% | 27.5%↓31% | 55 |
| SCOTTSBLUFF PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 8 | 3,519 | $14,178↓35% | 91.0%↑9% | 45.9%↑16% | 57 |
| HASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 7 | 3,366 | $14,277↓34% | 87.0% | 52.6%↑33% | 56 |
| RALSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 8 | 3,352 | $13,673↓37% | 87.0% | 54.9%↑39% | 49 |
| BENNINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 6 | 3,303 | $20,591↓5% | 92.0%↑11% | 14.0%↓65% | 53 |
| LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 8 | 3,221 | $14,295↓34% | 93.0%↑12% | 70.2%↑77% | 50 |
| NORRIS SCHOOL DIST 160 | 4 | 2,483 | $11,513↓47% | 97.5%↑17% | 11.4%↓71% | — |
| BLAIR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 6 | 2,274 | $13,076↓40% | 97.5%↑17% | 25.6%↓35% | 53 |
| CRETE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 6 | 2,230 | $16,615↓23% | 92.0%↑11% | 34.3%↓13% | 54 |
| WAVERLY SCHOOL DISTRICT 145 | 5 | 2,165 | $13,615↓37% | 92.0%↑11% | 19.9%↓50% | 49 |
| BEATRICE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 6 | 2,090 | $13,352↓39% | 87.0% | 52.1%↑32% | 56 |
| Todd County School District 66-1 | 13 | 2,044 | $19,120↓12% | 72.0%↓13% | 100.0%↑153% | 32 |
| GERING PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 6 | 2,023 | $12,249↓44% | 92.0%↑11% | 50.2%↑27% | 52 |
| SCHUYLER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 8 | 1,984 | $14,300↓34% | 77.0%↓7% | 63.9%↑61% | 58 |
| YORK PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,620 | $14,203↓35% | 92.0%↑11% | 42.2%↑7% | 53 |
| PLATTSMOUTH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,504 | $16,048↓26% | 87.0% | 46.4%↑17% | 56 |
| SEWARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 3 | 1,496 | $13,909↓36% | 97.5%↑17% | 22.1%↓44% | 53 |
| NORTHWEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 5 | 1,465 | $14,637↓33% | 97.5%↑17% | 25.5%↓36% | 57 |
| NEBRASKA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,428 | $14,246↓34% | 87.0% | 54.7%↑38% | 57 |
| MC COOK PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 5 | 1,376 | $14,510↓33% | 97.5%↑17% | 42.9%↑8% | 52 |
| ALLIANCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 5 | 1,345 | $14,316↓34% | 82.0% | 56.6%↑43% | 60 |
| SIDNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 6 | 1,276 | $13,130↓40% | 97.5%↑17% | 45.5%↑15% | 57 |
| AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,226 | $16,852↓22% | 97.5%↑17% | 33.7%↓15% | 53 |
| SPRINGFIELD PLATTEVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,203 | $29,941↑38% | 97.5%↑17% | 18.4%↓53% | 60 |
| ASHLAND-GREENWOOD PUBLIC SCHS | 3 | 1,099 | $37,258↑72% | 92.0%↑11% | 24.6%↓38% | 49 |
| WAHOO PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,085 | $13,763↓37% | 97.5%↑17% | 30.9%↓22% | 60 |
| DOUGLAS CO WEST COMMUNITY SCHS | 4 | 1,053 | $19,396↓11% | 97.5%↑17% | 28.4%↓28% | 45 |
| AUBURN PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,051 | $14,614↓33% | 97.5%↑17% | 37.9% | 59 |
| HOLDREGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 1,014 | $16,292↓25% | 97.5%↑17% | 42.1%↑6% | 59 |
| ADAMS CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 3 | 1,004 | $16,643↓23% | 97.5%↑17% | 19.5%↓51% | 56 |
| Small Districts — Fewer than 1,000 Students | ||||||
| WAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 4 | 997 | $13,184↓39% | 92.0%↑11% | 36.3%↓8% | 56 |
| LAKEVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 4 | 952 | $18,597↓14% | 92.0%↑11% | 37.8% | 57 |
| COZAD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | 4 | 949 | $16,974↓22% | 97.5%↑17% | 50.0%↑26% | 51 |
| CHADRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 4 | 941 | $15,172↓30% | 92.0%↑11% | 42.9%↑8% | 53 |
| FAIRBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 3 | 909 | $19,059↓12% | 92.0%↑11% | 55.9%↑41% | 58 |
| BROKEN BOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 5 | 890 | $13,275↓39% | 92.5%↑11% | 42.9%↑8% | 58 |
Showing 50 of 270
Frequently Asked Questions
Data sourced from NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and Opportunity Atlas. Figures reflect the most recent available federal dataset (2021-22 / 2022-23). Learn more about our data sources.