Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Windy Hills Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 99% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Windy Hills Elementary School is a public elementary school in Kearney, Nebraska, serving grades PK-5 with 255 students. This high-performing school consistently outshines the Kearney Public Schools district and the state of Nebraska in academic assessments, ranking among the top elementary schools in the state.

Windy Hills Elementary School has maintained exceptional academic performance, with significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, 84.78% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in ELA, far exceeding the district's 65.81% and the state's 57.45%. The school has also been ranked 2nd out of 274 Nebraska elementary schools and received a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, Windy Hills has consistently high performance across different student subgroups, ranking 9th out of 349 Nebraska elementary schools for female students and 10th out of 385 for white students.

Windy Hills Elementary School's success may be attributed to its higher spending per student, $12,591 compared to the state average, and lower chronic absenteeism rate of 19.3%. When compared to nearby Glenwood Elementary School, Central Elementary School, and other Kearney Public Schools, Windy Hills stands out as a high-performing institution that could provide valuable insights for other schools seeking to replicate its success.

259

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,591

Per pupil spending ?

15.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4211 20th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845-8255

(308) 698-8220

District: Kearney Public Schools

Students who attend Windy Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Horizon Middle School
High:	Kearney High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.1%

Hispanic:

8.5%

Two or more races:

2.7%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Windy Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 79th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (89% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of Nebraska elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 20 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school89%

District avg70%

Nebraska avg58%

2^nd of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 20 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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	94.6	2 of 294	99.3%	★★★★★
2024	86.2	36 of 428	91.6%	★★★★★
2023	91.0	17 of 459	96.3%	★★★★★
2022	87.1	31 of 457	93.2%	★★★★★
2021	85.7	40 of 442	91.0%	★★★★★
2019	81.1	64 of 452	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	79.5	69 of 450	84.7%	★★★★☆
2017	84.3	35 of 459	92.4%	★★★★★
2016	79.1	69 of 480	85.6%	★★★★☆
2015	72.2	103 of 488	78.9%	★★★★☆
2014	83.6	46 of 483	90.5%	★★★★★
2013	81.6	51 of 485	89.5%	★★★★☆
2012	81.2	54 of 480	88.8%	★★★★☆
2011	79.3	70 of 473	85.2%	★★★★☆
2010	78.0	47 of 502	90.6%	★★★★★
2009	73.7	22 of 471	95.3%	★★★★★
2008	74.7	29 of 478	93.9%	★★★★★
2007	69.4	117 of 430	72.8%	★★★★☆
2006	81.0	30 of 418	92.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	91.5	9 of 349	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	10 of 337	97.0%	★★★★★
2021	78.9	46 of 318	85.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	62 of 349	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	66.7	106 of 341	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	87.9	21 of 366	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	76.6	59 of 356	83.4%	★★★★☆
2021	82.8	37 of 328	88.7%	★★★★☆
2019	79.5	61 of 367	83.4%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	33 of 347	90.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	92.1	10 of 385	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	84.3	29 of 388	92.5%	★★★★★
2021	79.9	47 of 368	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	58 of 391	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	48 of 391	87.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2023)97th percentile~ school

White (2023)97th percentile~ school

Male (2023)94th percentile~ school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics92%+34 vs state

English Language Arts86%+28 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Windy Hills Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Windy Hills 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 Windy Hills Elementary School

How many students attend Windy Hills Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 259 students attended Windy Hills Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Windy Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Windy Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Horizon Middle School
High : Kearney High School

Is Windy Hills Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Windy Hills Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 2^nd of 294 Nebraska elementary schools.

What district is Windy Hills Elementary School in?

Kearney Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Windy Hills Elementary School?

Students at Windy Hills Elementary School are 86% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Windy Hills Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NENebraska Elementary School Rankings

NENebraska District Rankings

Schools in Kearney, NE

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Windy Hills Elementary School!

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.