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Raymond A Watson Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

241^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Raymond A Watson Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hastings, Nebraska, serving 337 students in grades PK-5. Despite the Hastings Public Schools district being ranked 110 out of 115 districts in the state with a 0-star rating, Raymond A Watson Elementary School consistently outperforms the district and the state of Nebraska in standardized test scores.

In the 2024-2025 school year, 61.22% of 4th-grade students at Raymond A Watson Elementary School were proficient or better in NSCAS/English Language Arts, compared to 51.53% for the Hastings Public Schools district and 59.59% for the state. Similarly, 67.35% of 4th-grade students were proficient or better in NSCAS/Mathematics, compared to 52.29% for the district and 60.65% for the state. However, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.3% to 25.3% in recent years, which is higher than the state average.

Despite serving a significant population of students from low-income families, with free and reduced lunch rates ranging from 37.65% to 50.74%, Raymond A Watson Elementary School spends between $15,905 and $16,451 per student, which is higher than the state average. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12 to 15.1 students per teacher, which is lower than the state average. When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Hastings Public Schools district, Raymond A Watson Elementary School generally outperforms its peers in standardized test scores, particularly in mathematics.

336

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,213

Per pupil spending ?

45.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1720 N Crane
Hastings, NE 68901-2853

(402) 461-7593

District: Hastings Public Schools

Students who attend Raymond A Watson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hastings Middle School
High:	Hastings Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.4%

Hispanic:

23.8%

Two or more races:

7.1%

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Compare Raymond A Watson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 18th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Nebraska average (48% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 44 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg49%

Nebraska avg58%

241^st of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 44 pts since 2015

From top 38% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Hastings Public Schools

113^th of 118Hastings Public 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	24.3	241 of 294	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.2	305 of 428	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.3	338 of 459	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.7	349 of 457	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.2	310 of 442	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	225 of 452	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	42.1	280 of 450	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	60.8	178 of 459	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.2	233 of 480	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	60.7	187 of 488	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.8	206 of 483	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.5	135 of 485	72.2%	★★★★☆
2012	77.4	72 of 480	85.0%	★★★★☆
2011	79.2	73 of 473	84.6%	★★★★☆
2010	63.9	156 of 502	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	66.7	126 of 471	73.2%	★★★★☆
2008	69.4	79 of 478	83.5%	★★★★☆
2007	86.5	1 of 430	99.8%	★★★★★
2006	78.1	49 of 418	88.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	29.6	254 of 349	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.4	238 of 337	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.3	214 of 318	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.8	148 of 349	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	33.7	246 of 341	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	41.7	201 of 312	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.6	199 of 259	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.9	193 of 264	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	64.9	91 of 298	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.1	145 of 281	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	38.7	242 of 366	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.7	297 of 356	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.4	253 of 328	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.0	225 of 367	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	45.0	204 of 347	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	9.4	186 of 193	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	226 of 261	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	15.8	357 of 385	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.5	354 of 388	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.7	329 of 368	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	44.6	212 of 391	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.8	305 of 391	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)36th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2023)34th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2023)27th percentile~ school

White (2025)4th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts48%-10 vs state

Mathematics47%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Raymond A Watson 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)							NSCAS 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 3rd Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 8th 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 7th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 8th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	NSCAS Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Raymond A Watson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1720 N Crane	Hastings	68901	Adams County	Hastings Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 461-7593	336	26	12.8	45.2%	223 (66.4%)	3 (0.9%)	80 (23.8%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (7.1%)	24.3	241^st of 294 public elementary schools	18.0%		36.2	305^th of 428 public elementary schools	28.7%	64		61.2	47.1				48.3		67.4	45.6				46.7		$16,213	$1,503	$13,116
Hawthorne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 W 9th St	Hastings	68901	Adams County	Hastings Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 461-7540	343	29	11.8	54.5%	241 (70.3%)	2 (0.6%)	83 (24.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.7%)								(n/a)	49.2	55.9					48.1							49.2		$14,474	$1,227	$11,571
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	828 N Hastings Ave	Hastings	68901	Adams County	Hastings Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 461-7584	305	25	12.0	50.5%	165 (54.1%)	4 (1.3%)	113 (37.0%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.6%)	22.5	249^th of 294 public elementary schools	15.3%		23.5	345^th of 428 public elementary schools	19.4%	96	59.2	45.5	54.4				52.8	63.3	50.9	50.9				54.7		$16,709	$1,387	$13,376
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	720 S Franklin	Hastings	68901	Adams County	Hastings Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 461-7589	289	28	10.2	81.0%	148 (51.2%)	1 (0.3%)	112 (38.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.0%)								(n/a)	50.9						46.2									$16,858	$2,617	$12,571
Alcott Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	313 N Cedar	Hastings	68901	Adams County	Hastings Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 461-7580	267	23	11.4	66.7%	136 (50.9%)	1 (0.4%)	111 (41.6%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.6%)								(n/a)	52.3						43.8							46.9		$16,158	$1,941	$12,334
Adams Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	975 S Adams Central Ave	Hastings	68901	Adams County	Adams Central Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 463-0040	506	34	14.7	14.0%	459 (90.7%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.2%)	78	54^th of 294 public elementary schools	81.6%		80.8	67^th of 428 public elementary schools	84.3%	13	88.2	80.0	75.3	71.8			78.7	80.9	73.8	83.1	67.6			76.4		$13,089	$180	$11,584
Doniphan-Trumbull Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	302 W Plum	Doniphan	68832	Hall County	Doniphan-Trumbull Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 845-2730	280	23	11.9	25.4%	251 (89.6%)	3 (1.1%)	23 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	68.8	91^st of 294 public elementary schools	69.0%		64.1	165^th of 428 public elementary schools	61.4%	74	60.7		63.3	73.7			66.9	75.0	83.9		76.3			78.0		$21,975	$2,028	$17,062
Kenesaw Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	110 N 5th Ave	Kenesaw	68956	Adams County	Kenesaw Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 752-3215	139	13	10.8	22.3%	128 (92.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)								(n/a)	70.6	73.7					75.6							79.5		$24,043	$1,914	$18,305
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									$23,343	$1,176	$20,336
Cedar Hollow School	Public	PK, KG-8	4900 S Engleman Rd	Grand Island	68803	Hall County	Northwest Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 385-6306	378	23	16.7	14.0%	328 (86.8%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.2%)	78.8	51^st of 294 public elementary schools	82.7%		81.3	62^nd of 428 public elementary schools	85.5%	11	83.8	75.0	73.8	63.4	70.5	80.9	74.5			85.7	82.9	81.8	87.2	86.9	89.9	$12,682	$636	$11,511

Frequently Asked Questions about Raymond A Watson Elementary School

How many students attend Raymond A Watson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 336 students attended Raymond A Watson Elementary School.

What district is Raymond A Watson Elementary School in?

Hastings Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Raymond A Watson Elementary School?

Students at Raymond A Watson Elementary School are 66% White, 24% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Raymond A Watson Elementary School a good school?

Raymond A Watson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 18.0% of Nebraska elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Raymond A Watson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Raymond A Watson Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hastings Middle School
High : Hastings Senior High School

Rate Raymond A Watson Elementary School!

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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.