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Central Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

224^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 24% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Central Elementary School is a public elementary school in Kearney, Nebraska, serving 271 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Kearney Public Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 115 districts in the state.

Central Elementary School has shown mixed performance on state assessments compared to the district and state averages. While the school has had some strong performance in certain grade levels and subjects, it has also struggled in others. For example, 4th grade students at Central Elementary had lower proficiency in English Language Arts than the district and state, but 5th grade students had higher proficiency in Mathematics. The school also has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 73.8% receiving free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than nearby schools like Glenwood Elementary (13.49%) and Windy Hills Elementary (20.78%).

Central Elementary School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, with 19.3% of students chronically absent, which is higher than nearby schools. The school also has a relatively high spending per student at $16,305, compared to other schools in the district. While the school has shown strong performance for its Hispanic students, it has struggled with its female and male student subgroups. Overall, Central Elementary School faces challenges related to poverty, chronic absenteeism, and declining academic performance, but there may be opportunities for improvement with targeted interventions and support.

284

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,305

Per pupil spending ?

52.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 W 24th St
Kearney, NE 68845-5345

(308) 698-8040

District: Kearney Public Schools

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Horizon Middle School
High:	Kearney High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.2%

Hispanic:

34.9%

African American:

3.5%

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Compare Central Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 83rd percentile in 2015 → 24th in 2025

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (24th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 59 percentile points since 2015

!Near the bottom of Kearney Public Schools's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg73%

Nebraska avg61%

224^th of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Bottom 24%▼ down 60 pts since 2015

From top 17% (2015) to bottom 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 9Elementary Schools in the Kearney Public Schools

54^th of 118Kearney 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	31.5	224 of 294	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	56.5	223 of 428	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	68.4	142 of 459	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.4	150 of 457	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.2	199 of 442	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.9	113 of 452	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	66.8	132 of 450	70.7%	★★★★☆
2017	65.5	150 of 459	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.5	164 of 480	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	78.0	81 of 488	83.4%	★★★★☆
2014	69.4	110 of 483	77.2%	★★★★☆
2013	63.3	160 of 485	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.3	201 of 480	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	48.9	255 of 473	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	31.5	425 of 502	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	44.1	356 of 471	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	50.2	320 of 478	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.0	259 of 430	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	39.1	299 of 418	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	44.7	125 of 203	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	76.5	73 of 349	79.1%	★★★★☆
2022	56.8	138 of 337	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.8	128 of 318	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.1	163 of 349	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.3	111 of 341	67.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	75.2	13 of 108	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	86.0	2 of 81	97.5%	★★★★★
2018	76.3	9 of 81	88.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	82.8	28 of 312	91.0%	★★★★★
2022	81.6	24 of 259	90.7%	★★★★★
2021	66.2	79 of 264	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.9	31 of 298	89.6%	★★★★☆
2018	80.3	35 of 281	87.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	57.0	93 of 203	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.2	160 of 366	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.8	123 of 356	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.0	166 of 328	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	79.6	59 of 367	83.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.7	97 of 347	72.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	34.3	148 of 193	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	78.4	57 of 385	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	70.4	85 of 388	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	51.3	163 of 368	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.4	122 of 391	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.6	104 of 391	73.4%	★★★★☆

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)91st percentile+22 vs school

Hispanic (2023)88th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2024)54th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2024)38th percentile-9 vs school

White (2025)23rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Science80%~ state avg

Mathematics72%+14 vs state

English Language Arts54%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Central 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 All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 5th 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
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 W 24th St	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8040	284	20	14.4	52.1%	151 (53.2%)	10 (3.5%)	99 (34.9%)	6 (2.1%)	4 (1.4%)	4 (1.4%)	10 (3.5%)	31.5	224^th of 294 public elementary schools	23.8%		56.5	223^rd of 428 public elementary schools	47.9%	1	48.9	61.4	53.1	54.3	59.6		67.4	72.1	79.6	79.6	$16,305	$1,435	$11,918
Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 7th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8280	257	15	16.7	28.4%	210 (81.7%)	5 (1.9%)	24 (9.3%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)	80.4	42^nd of 294 public elementary schools	85.7%		83.8	47^th of 428 public elementary schools	89.0%	5	69.4	76.9	82.6	76.1	73.5	82.1	87.0	80.6			$12,604	$429	$11,040
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2705 Ave E	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8270	235	18	13.0	54.5%	152 (64.7%)	5 (2.1%)	70 (29.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	16.5	262^nd of 294 public elementary schools	10.9%		47.5	260^th of 428 public elementary schools	39.3%	2	48.8		41.2	46.7	58.1			53.3			$16,218	$1,853	$12,667
Bryant Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1611 Ave C	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8190	248	19	12.8	58.1%	141 (56.9%)	6 (2.4%)	89 (35.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	56.9	131^st of 294 public elementary schools	55.4%		52.5	243^rd of 428 public elementary schools	43.2%	112	45.8	63.2	78.1	61.4	64.6	81.6	75.6	73.2	87.8	87.8	$15,509	$1,641	$12,449
Northeast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	910 E 34th St	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8230	397	30	13.3	38.5%	255 (64.2%)	8 (2.0%)	108 (27.2%)	5 (1.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.5%)	53.3	147^th of 294 public elementary schools	50.0%		58.8	209^th of 428 public elementary schools	51.2%	62	60.0	51.7	63.0	58.7	62.7	81.0	76.7	72.8	87.7	87.7	$12,734	$1,287	$10,345
Kenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	915 16th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8200	398	26	15.4	32.9%	311 (78.1%)	2 (0.5%)	60 (15.1%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.8%)	64.1	105^th of 294 public elementary schools	64.3%		71.3	115^th of 428 public elementary schools	73.1%	10	63.2	73.3	70.4	68.8	69.1	76.7	64.8	69.9	91.6	91.6	$13,286	$247	$11,425
Windy Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4211 20th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8220	259	15	17.2	15.1%	223 (86.1%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.5%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	94.6	2^nd of 294 public elementary schools	99.3%		86.2	36^th of 428 public elementary schools	91.6%	34	84.8	85.0	89.1	86.4	89.1			92.4			$12,591	$312	$10,978
Meadowlark Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1010 E 53rd St	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8210	417	23	17.7	14.4%	358 (85.9%)	10 (2.4%)	30 (7.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	10 (2.4%)	92.9	7^th of 294 public elementary schools	97.6%		96	1^st of 428 public elementary schools	99.8%	6		85.3	80.3	86.1		92.0	88.7	92.3			$12,280	$247	$10,734
Buffalo Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6110 11th Avenue	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8290	272	16	16.5	17.6%	241 (88.6%)	1 (0.4%)	19 (7.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	76.5	65^th of 294 public elementary schools	77.9%		83.4	49^th of 428 public elementary schools	88.6%	16	71.1	71.4	70.8	71.1	84.4	81.0	77.1	80.7	89.6	89.6	$13,854	$247	$11,482
Glenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8105 9th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8240	118	8	14.6	8.5%	113 (95.8%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	69.6			73.4	78.3			82.8			$14,109	$304	$12,588

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Elementary School

Is Central Elementary School a good school?

Central Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.8% of Nebraska elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Central Elementary School?

Students at Central Elementary School are 53% White, 35% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian, 1% Pacific Islander.

What district is Central Elementary School in?

Kearney Public Schools

How many students attend Central Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 284 students attended Central Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Central Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Central Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Horizon Middle School
High : Kearney High 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.