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Buffalo Hills Elementary

Q: Is Buffalo Hills Elementary a good school?

Buffalo Hills Elementary ranks 65 th of 294 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

65^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 294 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Nebraska elementary schools

Summary

Buffalo Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Kearney, Nebraska, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 298 students. This high-performing school consistently ranks among the top 20% of Nebraska elementary schools, thanks to its strong academic performance across all subject areas and grade levels.

Buffalo Hills Elementary outperforms both the Kearney Public Schools district and the state of Nebraska in standardized test scores. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had over 70% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and up to 84% proficient or better in mathematics, significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate of 89.58% is also notably higher than the district and state.

When compared to other nearby elementary schools in the Kearney Public Schools district, Buffalo Hills Elementary stands out as a top performer, along with Meadowlark Elementary and Windy Hills Elementary. However, some nearby schools, such as Bryant Elementary, Emerson Elementary, and Central Elementary, have lower academic performance and higher rates of chronic absenteeism. The commitment of the Kearney Public Schools district to invest in Buffalo Hills Elementary, with a significant increase in spending per student, has likely contributed to the school's continued success.

272

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,854

Per pupil spending ?

17.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6110 11th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68845-2303

(308) 698-8290

District: Kearney Public Schools

Students who attend Buffalo Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Horizon Middle School
High:	Kearney High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.6%

Hispanic:

7.0%

Two or more races:

3.7%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Buffalo Hills Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Nebraska average (78% vs 61% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Nebraska elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school78%

District avg73%

Nebraska avg61%

65^th of 294

Nebraska public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From top 6% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Nebraska Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^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	76.5	65 of 294	77.9%	★★★★☆
2024	83.4	49 of 428	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	79.3	75 of 459	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	83.0	58 of 457	87.3%	★★★★☆
2021	85.4	42 of 442	90.5%	★★★★★
2019	82.8	58 of 452	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.7	64 of 450	85.8%	★★★★☆
2017	73.0	117 of 459	74.5%	★★★★☆
2016	86.5	33 of 480	93.1%	★★★★★
2015	88.2	28 of 488	94.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	72.1	51 of 203	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	83.7	42 of 349	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	88.8	20 of 337	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	78.8	47 of 318	85.2%	★★★★☆
2019	75.6	71 of 349	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	78.1	52 of 341	84.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	77.6	44 of 312	85.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	74.4	45 of 203	77.8%	★★★★☆
2023	74.3	86 of 366	76.5%	★★★★☆
2022	71.7	85 of 356	76.1%	★★★★☆
2021	81.3	41 of 328	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	82.4	52 of 367	85.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.3	63 of 347	81.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2025	74.0	41 of 193	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.7	48 of 261	81.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.2	65 of 385	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.6	49 of 388	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	84.3	31 of 368	91.6%	★★★★★
2019	80.3	49 of 391	87.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.5	51 of 391	87.0%	★★★★☆

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)86th percentile~ school

White (2025)79th percentile~ school

Male (2024)78th percentile-11 vs school

Female (2024)75th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Science90%+10 vs state

Mathematics81%+23 vs state

English Language Arts71%+12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buffalo Hills Elementary

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Hills Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Hills Elementary?

Students at Buffalo Hills Elementary are 89% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Buffalo Hills Elementary in?

Kearney Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Buffalo Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Buffalo Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Horizon Middle School
High : Kearney High School

Is Buffalo Hills Elementary a good school?

Buffalo Hills Elementary ranks 65^th of 294 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Buffalo Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 272 students attended Buffalo Hills Elementary.

Rate Buffalo Hills Elementary!

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Schools in Kearney, NE

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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.