Pender Public Schools

Summary:

The Pender Public Schools district in Nebraska consists of two schools - Pender Elementary School and Pender High School. The district as a whole is highly ranked, placing 7th out of 115 districts in Nebraska and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Within the district, Pender High School stands out as an exceptional performer, consistently ranking among the top 12-22 high schools in the state over the past 3 years and earning a 5-star rating. 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. Pender High School also maintains a strong 87.9% 4-year graduation rate. In comparison, while Pender Elementary School is still performing well, earning 4-5 star ratings, its statewide ranking has fluctuated more over the past 3 years.

Both schools serve a student population with a significant percentage of free/reduced lunch recipients, indicating they are serving a less affluent community. Despite this, the schools are able to achieve high levels of academic success, likely due in part to their relatively low student-teacher ratios compared to state averages. The data also reveals that the spending per student is notably higher at the elementary school level compared to the high school, an interesting point for further exploration.

District Detail

609 Whitney St
Pender, NE 68047-5036

(402) 385-3244

SchoolDigger Rank:
9^th of 118 Nebraska districts

See the 2025 Nebraska District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 433

Primary Schools: 1
Middle Schools: 0
High Schools: 1
Alternative Schools: 0

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 (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 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	$17,903	$00	$15,629
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			$21,153	$1,145	$17,735

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools	10.04 mi	2
Emerson-Hubbard Public Schools	11.16 mi	3
Walthill Public Schools	11.38 mi	2
Wakefield Public Schools	13.22 mi	2	101^st
Wisner-Pilger Public Schools	13.58 mi	2	33^rd

See the top NE Nebraska districts

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.