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Emerson Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

262^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Emerson Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Kearney, Nebraska, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 241 students. While the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Nebraska elementary schools, it has demonstrated some notable strengths, particularly in supporting its low-socioeconomic status (SES) student population.

Despite Emerson Elementary's below-average statewide ranking and 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, the school has performed exceptionally well for its low-SES students, ranking in the top 35 out of 312 Nebraska elementary schools in this subgroup in 2022-2023. This suggests that the school may be effectively addressing the needs of its economically disadvantaged students, which is a commendable achievement. However, the school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally below the Kearney Public Schools district and the state of Nebraska averages, with some exceptions, such as the 5th-grade proficiency rates being higher than the district and state.

Emerson Elementary School's location in close proximity to several other Kearney Public Schools elementary schools, such as Meadowlark Elementary, Windy Hills Elementary, and Park Elementary, which have consistently outperformed Emerson, presents an opportunity for the school to learn from and collaborate with these successful schools to improve its own performance. Additionally, addressing the school's higher-than-average chronic absenteeism rates could be an important focus area to improve student outcomes.

235

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,218

Per pupil spending ?

54.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2705 Ave E
Kearney, NE 68847-3602

(308) 698-8270

District: Kearney Public Schools

Students who attend Emerson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sunrise Middle School
High:	Kearney High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

64.7%

Hispanic:

29.8%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 11th percentile in 2015 → 11th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Nebraska average (50% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg70%

Nebraska avg58%

262^nd of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^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	16.5	262 of 294	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.5	260 of 428	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.3	269 of 459	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.6	310 of 457	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.1	288 of 442	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.0	426 of 452	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	35.5	311 of 450	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	22.2	392 of 459	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.4	435 of 480	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	18.9	432 of 488	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	23.4	414 of 483	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	15.7	441 of 485	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	24.9	403 of 480	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	32.7	364 of 473	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.6	442 of 502	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	48.1	320 of 471	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	59.1	233 of 478	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	68.6	124 of 430	71.2%	★★★★☆
2006	70.6	103 of 418	75.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	40.4	213 of 349	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.0	181 of 337	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	8.1	332 of 349	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	34.3	242 of 341	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	80.0	35 of 312	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	64.5	81 of 259	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.2	67 of 264	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	10.1	285 of 298	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	56.7	119 of 281	57.7%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	59.5	140 of 366	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.9	226 of 356	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.3	192 of 328	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	10.8	341 of 367	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	41.5	221 of 347	36.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	31.2	209 of 261	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.3	261 of 385	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.8	346 of 388	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.7	322 of 368	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	5.7	387 of 391	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	44.5	211 of 391	46.0%	★★☆☆☆

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)89th percentile+47 vs school

Male (2023)62nd percentile+20 vs school

Female (2023)39th percentile~ school

White (2024)20th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics53%-5 vs state

English Language Arts47%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Emerson 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 Emerson Elementary School

What district is Emerson Elementary School in?

Kearney Public Schools

How many students attend Emerson Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 235 students attended Emerson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Emerson Elementary School?

Students at Emerson Elementary School are 65% White, 30% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Emerson Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Sunrise Middle School
High : Kearney High School

Is Emerson Elementary School a good school?

Emerson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 10.9% of Nebraska elementary schools.

Rate Emerson 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.