Best Public Schools in Ponca, NE

Summary:

The city of Ponca, Nebraska is home to two schools - Ponca High School and Ponca Elementary School, both part of the Ponca Public Schools district. Ponca High School stands out as a top-performing school in the region, consistently ranking among the best high schools in Nebraska and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ponca High School's academic excellence is evident in its impressive test scores, with 66.67% of 11th graders proficient or better in ACT/Science, 83.33% in ACT/English Language Arts, and 86.67% in ACT/Mathematics. The school also boasts a strong 87.9% four-year graduation rate. In contrast, Ponca Elementary School, while also performing well, has a slightly higher chronic absenteeism rate of 19.3% compared to the high school's 19.3%.

Interestingly, Ponca High School spends $18,657 per student and has a student-teacher ratio of 11:1, suggesting efficient resource allocation and effective utilization of funds. Ponca Elementary School, on the other hand, spends $21,303 per student and has a student-teacher ratio of 10.9:1. The higher percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients at Ponca Elementary School (29.66%) compared to Ponca High School (20.69%) may indicate the need for additional support and resources to address potential socioeconomic challenges faced by students at the elementary level.

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 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 3rd Grade	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 All Grades	ACT Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ponca Elementary School	Public	3-6	505 3rd St	Ponca	68770	Dixon County	Ponca Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 755-5700	128	11	11.9	24.2%	119 (93.0%)	3 (2.3%)	3 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	77.7	57^th of 294 public elementary schools	80.6%		82.9	52^nd of 428 public elementary schools	87.9%	5	77.8	71.4	70.0	78.6			74.4	80.0	86.8		$21,303	$600	$17,317
Ponca High School	Public	7-12	505 3rd St	Ponca	68770	Dixon County	Ponca Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 755-5701	198	19	10.6	21.2%	185 (93.4%)	4 (2.0%)	6 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)					61.3	67.5	64.8			66.7	$18,657	$366	$15,069

Cities Near Ponca

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Newcastle	9.07 mi	1
Jackson	12.25 mi	1
Allen	13.18 mi	2
South Sioux City	17.23 mi	7	129^th
Dakota City	19.14 mi	1	84^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.