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Best Public Schools in Pender, NE

At a glance

Schools

433

Students

5-star school

Top rankedPender High School12^th of 146 Nebraska high schools

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Biggest riser

Pender Elementary School up 22 spots statewide this year

Compare Nebraska cities →See the top-ranked Nebraska schools →

Summary:

The city of Pender, Nebraska is home to two high-performing schools - Pender Elementary School and Pender High School, both part of the Pender Public Schools district. These schools consistently rank among the top in the state, offering students a quality education.

Pender High School stands out as an exceptional institution, consistently ranking in the top 12-22 high schools in Nebraska and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school boasts impressive test scores, with 70.37% of 11th graders proficient or better in ACT Math and Science, significantly outperforming the state averages. Additionally, Pender High School maintains a strong 87.9% 4-year graduation rate.

While Pender Elementary School may not rank as highly as the high school, it still performs well, ranking in the top 43-77 elementary schools in Nebraska. The elementary school has particularly strong English Language Arts and Math proficiency rates for 4th-6th graders, exceeding state averages. Both schools in the Pender Public Schools district demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence, providing students with a high-quality education.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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)					ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 5th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 7th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pender High School	Public	7-12	609 Whitney St	Pender	68047	Thurston County	Pender Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 385-3244	191	14	13.4	39.3%	167 (87.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.3%)	2 (1.0%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.1%)	88.3	12^th of 146 public high schools	91.8%		85.7	17^th of 168 public high schools	89.9%	5			76.7	82.5			66.7	84.9	76.2	70.4	70.4	$18,428	$00	$16,010
Pender Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	609 Whitney St	Pender	68047	Thurston County	Pender Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 385-3244	242	21	11.4	45.5%	195 (80.6%)	1 (0.4%)	33 (13.6%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.7%)	78	55^th of 294 public elementary schools	81.3%		79.2	77^th of 428 public elementary schools	82.0%	22	75.0	76.5		80.2	82.5	70.6			83.5			$20,733	$1,126	$17,190

Cities Near Pender

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Bancroft	10.13 mi	2
Emerson	11.1 mi	3
Walthill	11.44 mi	2
Wakefield	13.13 mi	2	117^th
Wisner	13.56 mi	2	40^th

See the top NE Nebraska cities

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.