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Heartland Community Elementary

Q: Is Heartland Community Elementary a good school?

Heartland Community Elementary ranks 85 th of 294 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

85^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 71% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Heartland Community Elementary in Henderson, NE, is a small, rural PK-6 school serving 176 students as part of the Heartland Community Schools district, and it stands out for its exceptional academic performance and strong investment in students.

Heartland’s test scores are significantly higher than both the state average and most nearby schools. In English Language Arts, the school achieved an 81.18% proficiency rate in 2024-2025, which is over 22 points above the state average and far ahead of schools like Sutton Elementary School (49.17%) and Harvard Elementary School (43.9%). In math, Heartland’s 84.71% proficiency rate is nearly 27 points above the state average, outpacing even strong performers like Aurora Elementary School (74.52%). The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $25,398 per student—nearly double what York Elementary School spends—and maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 11.3:1. This combination of high spending and small class sizes supports individualized instruction and helps explain the school’s consistent 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past decade.

Heartland also excels in keeping students engaged, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.8% in 2023-2024, far below the state average of 21.1% and lower than nearby schools like Sutton Elementary School (10.3%). An interesting comparison is with Hampton Elementary School, just 8 miles away, which has similar small class sizes and high spending. While Heartland serves a more economically diverse population (nearly 40% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, compared to Hampton’s 18.75%), it still achieves slightly higher ELA scores (81.18% vs. 78%), though Hampton leads in math (88% vs. 84.71%). This shows that Heartland delivers top-tier results while supporting a broader range of student needs.

176

Students ?

11.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,398

Per pupil spending ?

39.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1501 Front St
Henderson, NE 68371-8929

(402) 723-4434

District: Heartland Community Schools

Students who attend Heartland Community Elementary usually attend:

High:

Heartland Community High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.9%

Two or more races:

2.3%

Hispanic:

1.7%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Heartland Community Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 76th percentile in 2015 → 71st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (83% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Above the Nebraska median (71st percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school83%

District avg79%

Nebraska avg58%

85^th of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Top 29%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 24% (2015) to top 29% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

66^th of 118Heartland Community 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	71.1	85 of 294	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	76.6	89 of 428	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	70.8	130 of 459	71.7%	★★★★☆
2022	70.2	117 of 457	74.4%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	122 of 442	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	71.0	112 of 452	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	72.9	98 of 450	78.2%	★★★★☆
2017	73.7	113 of 459	75.4%	★★★★☆
2016	57.2	201 of 480	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	69.8	119 of 488	75.6%	★★★★☆
2014	70.0	108 of 483	77.6%	★★★★☆
2013	64.1	151 of 485	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.1	204 of 480	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.9	234 of 473	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	51.0	278 of 502	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	65.0	148 of 471	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	70.6	59 of 478	87.7%	★★★★☆
2007	60.6	191 of 430	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	75.8	69 of 418	83.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	56.8	153 of 366	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.8	150 of 356	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.6	56 of 367	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	67.3	96 of 347	72.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	88 of 193	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.1	139 of 385	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.0	103 of 388	73.5%	★★★★☆
2021	57.0	132 of 368	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.5	126 of 391	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.1	97 of 391	75.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2023)58th percentile-13 vs school

White (2025)54th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics85%+27 vs state

English Language Arts81%+22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Heartland Community Elementary

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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)					NSCAS 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 3rd Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 6th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	NSCAS Science 5th Grade	NSCAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Heartland Community Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1501 Front St	Henderson	68371	York County	Heartland Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 723-4434	176	16	11.3	39.8%	167 (94.9%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	71.1	85^th of 294 public elementary schools	71.1%		76.6	89^th of 428 public elementary schools	79.2%	4			69.2	76.2	81.2			73.1		84.7			$25,398	$957	$20,448
Hampton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	458 5th St	Hampton	68843	Hamilton County	Hampton Public School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 725-3116	112	10	11.1	18.8%	101 (90.2%)	2 (1.8%)	8 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.9%)								(n/a)					78.0					88.0			$23,449	$933	$18,673
Mc Cool Junction Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	209 South Gragan Ave	Mc Cool Junction	68401	York County	Mc Cool Junction Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 724-2231	119	11	10.7	32.8%	113 (95.0%)	1 (0.8%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)								(n/a)		63.6			55.9					64.7			$22,505	$881	$18,803
Sutton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1107 N Saunders	Sutton	68979	Clay County	Sutton Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 773-4423	225	21	10.7	36.4%	155 (68.9%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (25.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.8%)	33.4	220^th of 294 public elementary schools	25.2%		42.3	282^nd of 428 public elementary schools	34.1%	62	47.2			59.4	49.2	69.4			56.3	55.0			$20,772	$934	$16,527
Aurora Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 H St	Aurora	68818	Hamilton County	Aurora Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 694-6923	520	39	13.4	29.8%	452 (86.9%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (10.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.5%)	68	96^th of 294 public elementary schools	67.3%		84.7	42^nd of 428 public elementary schools	90.2%	54	66.3	69.3	69.8		68.4	75.3	70.5	77.9		74.5	90.7	90.7	$15,344	$414	$13,596
York Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Washington Ave	York	68467	York County	York Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 362-6655	615	43	14.2	49.6%	474 (77.1%)	15 (2.4%)	93 (15.1%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (4.4%)	35.8	212^th of 294 public elementary schools	27.9%		40.3	292^nd of 428 public elementary schools	31.8%	80	60.9	57.9	49.0		55.8	54.4	72.0	58.8		62.1	84.3	84.3	$12,836	$976	$10,516
Giltner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	#2 West 6th Rd	Giltner	68841	Hamilton County	Giltner Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 849-2238	150	11	14.0	26.0%	145 (96.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)								(n/a)					61.1					56.9			$18,807	$1,164	$14,328
Harvard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	506 E North St	Harvard	68944	Clay County	Harvard Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 772-2171	91	12	7.6		51 (56.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (44.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					43.9								$27,805	$1,110	$24,599

Frequently Asked Questions about Heartland Community Elementary

What schools do graduates of Heartland Community Elementary attend?

Students who attend Heartland Community Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Heartland Community High School

How many students attend Heartland Community Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 176 students attended Heartland Community Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Heartland Community Elementary?

Students at Heartland Community Elementary are 95% White, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Heartland Community Elementary in?

Heartland Community Schools

Is Heartland Community Elementary a good school?

Heartland Community Elementary ranks 85^th of 294 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Heartland Community Elementary!

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Latest Nebraska data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2023–24 school spending dataNov 29, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 29, 2025

2024–25 ACT test scoresNov 29, 2025

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.