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Sunrise Middle School

Q: Is Sunrise Middle School a good school?

Sunrise Middle School ranks 75 th of 133 Nebraska middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

75^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 133 Nebraska Middle Schools

Better than 44% of Nebraska middle schools

Summary

Sunrise Middle School is a public middle school in Kearney, Nebraska, serving 543 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Kearney Public Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 115 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sunrise Middle School has consistently performed above the state average in NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) test scores for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science across grades 6-8. The school's performance is generally on par with or slightly below the Kearney Public Schools district average, indicating that it is a strong performer within its local context. However, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the past few years, dropping from the top 25% of Nebraska middle schools in 2018-2019 to the middle 50% in recent years. Sunrise Middle School performs particularly well in serving its Hispanic and low socioeconomic status (SES) student populations, ranking in the top 25% of Nebraska middle schools for these subgroups in recent years.

Compared to nearby schools, Horizon Middle School, also part of the Kearney Public Schools district, performs similarly to or slightly better than Sunrise Middle School in academic assessments. In contrast, C.L. Jones Middle School, part of the Minden Public Schools district, has a lower overall academic performance compared to Sunrise Middle School. These comparisons provide valuable insights into the relative performance and resource allocation within the local educational landscape.

536

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,020

Per pupil spending ?

38.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4611 Ave N
Kearney, NE 68847-8160

(308) 698-8150

District: Kearney Public Schools

Students who attend Sunrise Middle School usually attend:

High:

Kearney High School

Feeder schools for Sunrise Middle School:

Elementary:	Bryant Elementary School
	Emerson Elementary School
	Glenwood Elementary School
	Meadowlark Elementary School
	More...
	Northeast Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.6%

Hispanic:

18.3%

Two or more races:

3.7%

See top rated Nebraska middle schools

Compare Sunrise Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 43rd percentile in 2015 → 44th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (67% vs 61% meeting standards)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg73%

Nebraska avg61%

75^th of 133

Nebraska public middle schools ?

Bottom 44%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Kearney Public Schools

54^th of 118Kearney Public Schools among Nebraska districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	75 of 133	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.5	90 of 200	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.7	111 of 238	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	106 of 249	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.2	60 of 223	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	70.2	54 of 247	78.1%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	63 of 225	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	54.4	107 of 236	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.5	128 of 255	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.6	145 of 256	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	46.9	139 of 252	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.7	135 of 248	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.5	96 of 255	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.9	108 of 246	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.0	75 of 254	70.5%	★★★★☆
2009	68.3	48 of 243	80.2%	★★★★☆
2008	63.8	73 of 245	70.2%	★★★★☆
2007	76.9	34 of 227	85.0%	★★★★☆
2006	77.6	28 of 226	87.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	49.0	40 of 72	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.8	50 of 106	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.2	72 of 146	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	70 of 150	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.2	41 of 137	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	63.4	50 of 156	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.2	56 of 147	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	73.1	14 of 56	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.5	23 of 67	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	21 of 61	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.9	16 of 59	72.9%	★★★★☆
2019	68.2	17 of 62	72.6%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	12 of 56	78.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	15 of 46	67.4%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	25 of 92	72.8%	★★★★☆
2023	57.3	65 of 144	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.5	72 of 118	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.4	60 of 115	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	44 of 123	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.8	45 of 120	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	55.8	33 of 72	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.4	37 of 106	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	71 of 156	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.6	73 of 160	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.2	42 of 144	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	72.9	35 of 153	77.1%	★★★★☆
2018	72.5	33 of 141	76.6%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	41.6	22 of 32	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	36 of 70	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.9	27 of 46	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.0	18 of 40	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.2	20 of 52	61.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	46.9	56 of 94	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.8	65 of 141	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.5	94 of 217	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.4	92 of 234	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.1	54 of 204	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	68.2	54 of 222	75.7%	★★★★☆
2018	66.2	56 of 203	72.4%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2024)75th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2025)54th percentile+11 vs school

Female (2025)44th percentile~ school

White (2025)40th percentile-3 vs school

Special Education (2024)31st percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Science85%+5 vs state

English Language Arts65%+6 vs state

Mathematics62%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sunrise Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NSCAS English Language Arts (2025)						NSCAS Mathematics (2025)						NSCAS Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NSCAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 7th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	NSCAS Science 8th Grade	NSCAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunrise Middle School	Public	6-8	4611 Ave N	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8150	536	44	12.1	38.4%	389 (72.6%)	12 (2.2%)	98 (18.3%)	10 (1.9%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (3.7%)	51.9	75^th of 133 public middle schools	43.6%		59.5	90^th of 200 public middle schools	55.0%	15			62.8	61.7	70.1	64.9			63.3	59.4	63.6	62.2	84.8	84.8	$15,020	$405	$12,182
Horizon Middle School	Public	6-8	915 W 35th St	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8120	648	43	15.0	29.0%	509 (78.5%)	8 (1.2%)	104 (16.0%)	5 (0.8%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.6%)	13 (2.0%)	63.2	58^th of 133 public middle schools	56.4%		69.4	58^th of 200 public middle schools	71.0%				64.9	72.0	69.2	68.7			69.8	67.9	71.0	69.6	84.1	84.1	$12,953	$414	$10,977
C L Jones Middle School	Public	4-8	520 W 3rd	Minden	68959	Kearney County	Minden Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 832-2338	283	24	11.9	29.3%	247 (87.3%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (9.9%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	67.3	50^th of 133 public middle schools	62.4%		56.3	101^st of 200 public middle schools	49.5%	51	48.2	65.0	73.5	70.2	63.0	64.6	66.1	72.5	70.6	71.6		70.5	88.9	89.4	$17,309	$00	$14,616

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunrise Middle School

What high school do graduates of Sunrise Middle School attend?

Students who attend Sunrise Middle School usually go on to attend Kearney High School

How many students attend Sunrise Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 536 students attended Sunrise Middle School.

Is Sunrise Middle School a good school?

Sunrise Middle School ranks 75^th of 133 Nebraska middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Sunrise Middle School in?

Kearney Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Sunrise Middle School?

Students at Sunrise Middle School are 73% White, 18% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

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NENebraska Middle School Rankings

NENebraska District Rankings

Schools in Kearney, NE

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Nebraska Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.