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Southern Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

Summary

Southern Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Blue Springs, Nebraska, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 208 students. The school is part of the Southern School District 1, which is ranked 158 out of 182 districts in Nebraska and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's higher spending per student, which has increased from $16,455 in 2019-2020 to $19,569 in 2022-2023, Southern Elementary School has consistently underperformed compared to the state average in standardized test scores for English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 41% in 4th grade ELA, 45% in 5th grade ELA, and 45% in 6th grade Math, compared to the state averages of 58.98%, 57.43%, and 57.22%, respectively. Additionally, the school has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 15.0% to 24.5% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state's average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Tri County Elementary School, Lewiston Elementary School, and Diller-Odell Elementary School, Southern Elementary School generally performs worse academically. For example, Tri County Elementary School had significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA and Math compared to Southern Elementary School. The school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as female students, male students, and white students, is also lower than the state averages for those subgroups.

198

Students ?

10.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,733

Per pupil spending ?

65.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

315 W 2nd St
Blue Springs, NE 68318-0158

(402) 645-3359

District: Southern School District 1

Students who attend Southern Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Southern Junior-Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.9%

African American:

4.5%

Two or more races:

3.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 14th percentile in 2018 → 25th in 2024

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 25th (2024) from a 14th-percentile low (2018)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Nebraska average (40% vs 58% meeting standards)

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

!English Language Arts scores 21 pts below the Nebraska average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg41%

Nebraska avg58%

Not ranked this year

Southern Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

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
2024	31.4	322 of 428	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.8	357 of 459	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.6	319 of 457	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.3	369 of 442	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	347 of 452	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.6	386 of 450	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	30.9	354 of 459	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	34.5	348 of 480	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	43.8	306 of 488	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.1	255 of 483	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.2	322 of 485	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	31.8	368 of 480	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.8	316 of 473	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	33.3	416 of 502	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	57.7	225 of 471	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.6	236 of 478	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.8	112 of 430	74.0%	★★★★☆
2006	57.3	204 of 418	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2021	34.4	220 of 318	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.5	202 of 349	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.5	284 of 341	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	49.6	163 of 312	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.3	104 of 259	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.4	187 of 264	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.0	160 of 298	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.4	206 of 281	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2023	30.6	277 of 366	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.3	279 of 347	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2024	14.0	247 of 261	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.1	348 of 385	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	20.7	336 of 388	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	352 of 368	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.0	337 of 391	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.5	376 of 391	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)48th percentile+26 vs school

Female (2021)31st percentile+14 vs school

Male (2023)24th percentile~ school

White (2024)5th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics41%-17 vs state

English Language Arts38%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southern 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 All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 6th 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
Southern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	315 W 2nd St	Blue Springs	68318	Gage County	Southern School District 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 645-3359	198	20	10.0		174 (87.9%)	9 (4.5%)	5 (2.5%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)								(n/a)					38.0					41.0			$20,733	$840	$17,835
Beatrice Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	333 North 33rd Street	Beatrice	68310	Gage County	Beatrice Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(402) 223-1525	798	58	13.6	57.1%	634 (79.4%)	5 (0.6%)	108 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (5.3%)	17							(n/a)	54.0	60.0	34.9		49.0	46.0	66.2	28.9		46.2	74.5	74.5
Diller-Odell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	315 Smith St	Diller	68342	Jefferson County	Diller-Odell Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 793-5570	137	15	9.4	28.5%	132 (96.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					62.1					66.7			$23,427	$48	$21,662
Lewiston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	306 Tiger Ave	Lewiston	68380	Pawnee County	Lewiston Consolidated Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 865-4675	122	13	9.7		119 (97.5%)	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)								(n/a)					44.9								$21,787	$1,867	$15,713
Tri County Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	72520 Hwy 103	De Witt	68341	Jefferson County	Tri County Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 683-4035	232	21	11.1	23.3%	216 (93.1%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (4.3%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	72.6	76^th of 294 public elementary schools	74.1%		70.7	121^st of 428 public elementary schools	71.7%	45		74.1	66.7	70.4	66.7			76.7	81.5	80.2			$18,257	$1,131	$15,358

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Elementary School

What district is Southern Elementary School in?

Southern School District 1

What is the racial makeup of Southern Elementary School?

Students at Southern Elementary School are 88% White, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Southern Elementary School attend?

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

High : Southern Junior-Senior High School

How many students attend Southern Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 198 students attended Southern Elementary School.

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NENebraska Elementary School Rankings

NENebraska District Rankings

Schools in Blue Springs, 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.