Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Prekindergarten· 15 schools in district

KEARNEY EDUCATION CENTER

1511 5TH AVENUE, KEARNEY, NE 68845KEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–PKNon-Charter
416
Students
Total enrolled
$12,031
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 16% vs nat'l
37.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 145% vs nat'l
53/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 416 students in grades PK–PK in KEARNEY, Nebraska.
16% below average funding
District spends $12,031 per pupil, 16% less than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 53th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

KEARNEY EDUCATION CENTER is a mid-sized prekindergarten in KEARNEY, Nebraska, serving grades PK–PK with 416 students. The district invests $12,031 per student — 16% below the national average of $14,347, with a 37.7:1 student-teacher ratio that is higher than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 40% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at KEARNEY EDUCATION CENTER

416
Total Students
37.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
40%
Free Lunch
11
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–PK) are served by this school
Gender Distribution243 male · 173 female
58%
42%
Male 58%Female 42%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility40%
National avg 52% · 167 students
Student Composition
88%
9%
White88%
Hispanic / Latino9%
Multiracial2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 317239002253

Academic Outcomes at KEARNEY EDUCATION CENTER

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
53
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 53th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 89th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 68845

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,031Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,031
State avg
$21,710
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,294
Student Support$2,286
Administration$1,444
Operations$1,805
Other$1,203
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,031 spent per student, an estimated $5,330 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
23%
67%
State government
22.5%
Local (property tax)
67.2%
Federal programs
10.2%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 37.7:1 student-teacher ratio — larger classes than the national average of 15.4:1
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
MEADOWLARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOLNORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLKENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLBUFFALO HILLS ELEMENTARY
+6 more
↓
Middle
HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOLSUNRISE MIDDLE SCHOOL
↓
High School
KEARNEY HIGH SCHOOLHANNY ARRAM CENTER
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelPrekindergarten
GradesPK – PK
Location—
CountyBuffalo County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictKEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS →
Phone: (308)698-8033
NCES ID: 317239002253
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in KEARNEY seeking a public school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in KEARNEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
High
KEARNEY HIGH SCHOOL
1,629 students · 09–12
● 53 opp35% FRL
Mid
HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOL
619 students · 06–08
● 53 opp35% FRL
Mid
SUNRISE MIDDLE SCHOOL
577 students · 06–08
● 53 opp48% FRL
Elem
MEADOWLARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
408 students · PK–05
● 53 opp16% FRL
Elem
NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
398 students · PK–05
● 53 opp47% FRL
Elem
KENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
381 students · PK–05
● 53 opp37% FRL
Elem
BUFFALO HILLS ELEMENTARY
316 students · PK–05
● 53 opp21% FRL
Elem
PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
282 students · PK–05
● 53 opp35% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1511 5TH AVENUE, KEARNEY, NE 68845
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Prekindergarten
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.