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High Plains Community Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

Summary

High Plains Community Elementary School is a public elementary school in Clarks, Nebraska, serving 121 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the High Plains Community Schools district, which is ranked 85 out of 182 districts in the state.

While the school has seen some areas of strong performance, such as 4th grade English Language Arts and 3rd grade Mathematics, it has also struggled in other areas, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 9.5% to 21.5% over the past few years. The school's statewide ranking has also declined significantly, from 52 out of 502 Nebraska elementary schools in 2009-2010 to 196 out of 428 in 2023-2024. Compared to nearby schools like Osceola Elementary School, High Plains Community Elementary School generally performs on par or slightly better in some areas, but lags behind in others, such as 4th grade English Language Arts.

The school also faces challenges related to its high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 27.87% to 46.9% over the past few years. This suggests a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, the school's spending per student has increased over the years, from $20,967 in 2019-2020 to $27,153 in 2022-2023, which is higher than the spending per student at some nearby schools. Despite these challenges, the school has seen a decrease in its student-teacher ratio, from 12 in 2020-2021 to 9.5 in 2022-2023, indicating a potential increase in resources and attention per student.

114

Students ?

7.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$31,308

Per pupil spending ?

28.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

205 W Pearl St
Clarks, NE 68628-0205

(308) 548-2216

District: High Plains Community Schools

Students who attend High Plains Community Elementary School usually attend:

High:

High Plains Community Junior/Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.8%

Hispanic:

12.3%

African American:

0.9%

See top rated Nebraska public schools

Compare High Plains Community Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 90th percentile in 2010 → 54th in 2024

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (66% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2010

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg64%

Nebraska avg58%

Not ranked this year

High Plains Community Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

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
2024	60.1	196 of 428	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	226 of 459	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.7	291 of 457	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	77.5	52 of 502	89.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	44.0	223 of 385	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.3	292 of 388	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2023)42nd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics72%+14 vs state

English Language Arts61%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near High Plains Community Elementary School

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 3rd Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 4th 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 All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
High Plains Community Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	205 W Pearl St	Clarks	68628	Merrick County	High Plains Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 548-2216	114	15	7.7	28.1%	99 (86.8%)	1 (0.9%)	14 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				60.9		75.0	72.2	71.9	$31,308	$1,556	$24,788
Central City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1711 15th Ave	Central City	68826	Merrick County	Central City Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 946-3057	327	23	14.1	40.7%	288 (88.1%)	7 (2.1%)	22 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.1%)	72	80^th of 294 public elementary schools	72.8%		57.8	219^th of 428 public elementary schools	48.8%	139	87.5	64.4		74.8	79.2	74.6		76.6	$18,077	$1,309	$14,126
Fullerton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	606 4th St	Fullerton	68638	Nance County	Fullerton Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 536-2431	154	13	12.1	26.6%	139 (90.3%)	4 (2.6%)	9 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)								(n/a)				74.4				87.8	$21,954	$1,749	$16,832
Osceola Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	341 S Kimmel	Osceola	68651	Polk County	Osceola Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 747-2091	120	10	11.7	24.2%	97 (80.8%)	1 (0.8%)	7 (5.8%)	2 (1.7%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (9.2%)								(n/a)				79.6				77.6	$28,860	$521	$22,445
Cross County Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1270 123rd Road	Stromsburg	68666	Polk County	Cross County Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 764-5521	178	16	11.3	27.5%	165 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.6%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				71.4	75.0			79.4	$22,345	$779	$19,284
Twin River Elementary-Genoa	Public	PK, KG-6	816 Willard Ave	Genoa	68640	Nance County	Twin River Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 993-2510	217	21	10.3	41.0%	189 (87.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.4%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.1%)								(n/a)			60.0	51.2				64.0	$26,912	$628	$21,525

Frequently Asked Questions about High Plains Community Elementary School

What district is High Plains Community Elementary School in?

High Plains Community Schools

How many students attend High Plains Community Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 114 students attended High Plains Community Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of High Plains Community Elementary School attend?

Students who attend High Plains Community Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : High Plains Community Junior/Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of High Plains Community Elementary School?

Students at High Plains Community Elementary School are 87% White, 12% Hispanic.

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Schools in Clarks, NE

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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.