Emerson-Hubbard Middle School

Emerson-Hubbard Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the small town of Emerson, Nebraska, with a student population of just 66 students. While the school has shown some academic strengths in certain grade levels and subject areas, it has struggled overall, ranking in the bottom half of Nebraska middle schools.

One of the key challenges facing Emerson-Hubbard Middle School is its high chronic absenteeism rate, which has ranged from 14.6% to 22% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. The school also serves a population with a higher socioeconomic need, with 36.36% to 53.33% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Despite a significant increase in spending per student, from $5,969 in 2019-2020 to $21,089 in 2022-2023, the school's academic results have not yet shown a corresponding improvement.

Interestingly, the school has shown some strengths in specific student subgroups, such as ranking 3rd out of 27 Nebraska middle schools for English Language Learner students in the 2020-2021 school year. When compared to the nearby Wayne Junior High School, Emerson-Hubbard Middle School has similar academic performance in several subject areas, despite serving a smaller student population and being part of the Emerson-Hubbard Public Schools district, which is ranked lower than the Wayne Community Schools district.