Elementary Schools in Pender Public Schools

Summary:

Pender Public Schools, a district in Nebraska, is home to one standout elementary school, Pender Elementary School. This school consistently ranks among the top 21% of elementary schools in the state, earning 4 or 5-star ratings from SchoolDigger over the past few years. The Pender Public Schools district itself is also highly regarded, ranking 7th out of 115 districts in Nebraska and receiving a 5-star rating.

Pender Elementary School's academic performance is particularly impressive, with test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics significantly exceeding the state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 75% of 5th graders and 76.47% of 6th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to state averages of 55.79% and 58.64%, respectively. The school's higher-than-average spending per student and lower student-teacher ratio may contribute to these strong academic outcomes.

While Pender Elementary School serves a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (47.28%), indicating significant economic needs, the school is still able to provide a high-quality education. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 19.3% in 2024-2025 is higher than the state's target of 10% or less, which may be an area for improvement. Overall, Pender Elementary School stands out as a shining example of academic excellence within the Pender Public Schools district and the state of Nebraska.

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)			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 All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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.