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Horizon Middle School

Q: Is Horizon Middle School a good school?

Horizon Middle School ranks 58 th of 133 Nebraska middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

58^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 133 Nebraska Middle Schools

Better than 56% of Nebraska middle schools

Summary

Horizon Middle School is a public middle school located in Kearney, Nebraska, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 631 students. It is part of the Kearney Public Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 115 districts in Nebraska and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Horizon Middle School consistently outperforms the Kearney Public Schools district and the state of Nebraska in standardized test scores across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Horizon Middle School had higher proficiency rates in NSCAS/English Language Arts, NSCAS/Mathematics, and NSCAS/Science compared to the district and state averages. The school also ranks highly in the state for female, male, Hispanic, and white student performance, as well as for special education students, indicating it is effectively serving a diverse student population. Additionally, Horizon Middle School has lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to the nearby Sunrise Middle School, also part of the Kearney Public Schools district.

Horizon Middle School's success can be attributed to a combination of factors, including strong academic programs, effective teaching, and a focus on supporting diverse student populations. The school's higher spending per student ($12,953 in 2023-2024) compared to the state average may also play a role in its academic achievements. While Horizon Middle School outperforms the nearby Sunrise Middle School, it is interesting to note that Sunrise Middle School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which could contribute to its slightly lower academic performance.

648

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,953

Per pupil spending ?

29%

Free/discounted lunch ?

915 W 35th St
Kearney, NE 68845-8099

(308) 698-8120

District: Kearney Public Schools

Students who attend Horizon Middle School usually attend:

High:

Kearney High School

Feeder schools for Horizon Middle School:

Elementary:	Buffalo Hills Elementary
	Central Elementary School
	Kenwood Elementary School
	Park Elementary School
	More...
	Windy Hills Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.5%

Hispanic:

16.0%

Two or more races:

2.0%

See top rated Nebraska middle schools

Compare Horizon Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 84th percentile in 2022 → 56th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (71% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Above the Nebraska median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 84th-percentile peak (2022) to 56th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg73%

Nebraska avg61%

58^th of 133

Nebraska public middle schools ?

Top 44%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 49% (2015) to top 44% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	63.2	58 of 133	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.4	58 of 200	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	70.5	62 of 238	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	75.7	40 of 249	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	70.1	53 of 223	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	55.4	110 of 247	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.7	51 of 225	77.3%	★★★★☆
2017	55.2	103 of 236	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.9	117 of 255	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	51.4	131 of 256	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.1	121 of 252	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.4	112 of 248	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	53.7	124 of 255	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.3	70 of 246	71.5%	★★★★☆
2010	63.8	76 of 254	70.1%	★★★★☆
2009	61.6	90 of 243	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.1	103 of 245	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	58.2	108 of 227	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	61.7	81 of 226	64.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	65.8	30 of 72	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.9	23 of 106	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	67.1	49 of 146	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.6	34 of 150	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	63.4	46 of 137	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.3	79 of 156	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.6	46 of 147	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	55.3	23 of 56	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	35 of 67	47.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	18 of 61	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	48.0	32 of 59	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.5	51 of 62	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.4	37 of 56	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	27 of 46	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.6	38 of 92	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.6	77 of 144	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.2	67 of 118	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.1	63 of 115	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.5	97 of 123	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.4	59 of 120	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	61.6	30 of 72	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.7	39 of 106	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.5	38 of 156	75.6%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	24 of 160	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	73.8	22 of 144	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	57.8	64 of 153	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.8	31 of 141	78.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	64.3	9 of 32	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	51.7	31 of 70	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.4	18 of 52	65.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	73.6	23 of 94	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	29 of 141	79.4%	★★★★☆
2023	75.6	39 of 217	82.0%	★★★★☆
2022	77.7	31 of 234	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	74.2	32 of 204	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	60.9	72 of 222	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.2	35 of 203	82.8%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2025)76th percentile+19 vs school

Special Education (2024)72nd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2024)59th percentile-12 vs school

Female (2025)58th percentile~ school

Male (2025)58th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Science84%+5 vs state

Mathematics70%+11 vs state

English Language Arts69%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Horizon 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
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
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
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 Horizon Middle School

How many students attend Horizon Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 648 students attended Horizon Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Horizon Middle School?

Students at Horizon Middle School are 79% White, 16% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is Horizon Middle School in?

Kearney Public Schools

Is Horizon Middle School a good school?

Horizon Middle School ranks 58^th of 133 Nebraska middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Horizon Middle School attend?

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

Rate Horizon Middle School!

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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.