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Sterling Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

Summary

Sterling Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Sterling, Nebraska, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 135 students. The school is part of the Johnson County Central Public Schools district, which is ranked 82 out of 212 districts in Nebraska and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Sterling Elementary School has a significantly higher percentage of white students (91.85%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 80% to 95% white students, its academic performance is generally lower than the state average and the nearby schools. For example, in 2022-2023, the school's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate was 57%, compared to the state average of 63%. Additionally, Sterling Elementary School has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (40.74%) compared to the surrounding schools, which range from 9.71% to 60.38%. Despite the higher per-student spending of $17,331 in 2022-2023 and a lower student-teacher ratio of 11.1, the school's academic performance is still lagging behind the state average and the nearby schools, such as Norris Elementary School and Norris Intermediate School.

The analysis of Sterling Elementary School's data reveals a concerning trend of declining performance, with the school's statewide ranking dropping from 62 out of 450 Nebraska elementary schools in 2017-2018 (4 stars) to 320 out of 459 in 2022-2023 (2 stars). This suggests that the school's lower academic outcomes compared to the surrounding schools may be influenced by a combination of factors, including the socioeconomic status of the student population and other underlying issues that require further investigation.

143

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,322

Per pupil spending ?

41.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

250 Main St
Sterling, NE 68443-0039

(402) 866-4761

District: Sterling Public Schools

Students who attend Sterling Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Sterling High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.0%

Hispanic:

5.6%

African American:

0.7%

See top rated Nebraska public schools

Compare Sterling Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2013 → 30th in 2023

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 41 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg55%

Nebraska avg58%

Not ranked this year

Sterling 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
2023	36.8	320 of 459	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.4	321 of 457	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.6	200 of 442	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.0	257 of 452	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	80.9	62 of 450	86.2%	★★★★☆
2017	72.9	119 of 459	74.1%	★★★★☆
2016	76.3	91 of 480	81.0%	★★★★☆
2015	69.5	122 of 488	75.0%	★★★★☆
2014	77.2	73 of 483	84.9%	★★★★☆
2013	65.5	142 of 485	70.7%	★★★★☆
2012	44.8	296 of 480	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.4	272 of 473	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.2	376 of 502	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	53.4	276 of 471	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.1	280 of 478	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	31.6	350 of 430	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	38.7	303 of 418	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Nebraska percentile	Rating
2021	40.8	232 of 368	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.6	293 of 391	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

White (2021)37th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Nebraska (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics62%+4 vs state

English Language Arts54%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sterling 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
Sterling Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	250 Main St	Sterling	68443	Johnson County	Sterling Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 866-4761	143	11	12.5	41.3%	133 (93.0%)	1 (0.7%)	8 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)								(n/a)					53.6					62.3			$18,322	$1,069	$15,858
Freeman Elementary-Adams	Public	PK, KG-6	415 Eighth St	Adams	68301	Gage County	Freeman Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 988-2525	280	19	14.6	15.4%	271 (96.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	60.4	123^rd of 294 public elementary schools	58.2%		58.2	217^th of 428 public elementary schools	49.3%	94		59.0	66.7	67.9	65.7	77.5	74.4	66.7	75.0	73.4			$14,882	$662	$12,513
Johnson County Central El-Tecumseh	Public	PK, KG-3	358 N 6th	Tecumseh	68450	Johnson County	Johnson County Central Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 335-3320	158	14	11.5	58.2%	128 (81.0%)	4 (2.5%)	22 (13.9%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)								(n/a)	62.2				62.2								$20,327	$2,051	$16,113
Johnson County Central Elementary-Cook	Public	4-5	407 N 1st St	Cook	68329	Johnson County	Johnson County Central Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 864-4181	72	7	10.7	65.3%	54 (75.0%)	3 (4.2%)	13 (18.1%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)		64.7			57.6					54.6			$24,062	$1,194	$19,374
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
Norris Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	25211 S 68th St	Firth	68358	Lancaster County	Norris School District 160	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 791-0030	512	32	16.2	8.0%	476 (93.0%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (5.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)								(n/a)													$15,242	$1,468	$12,216
Norris Intermediate School	Public	3-5	25211 South 68 Street	Firth	68358	Lancaster County	Norris School District 160	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 791-0040	535	35	15.4	10.3%	498 (93.1%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	68.3	95^th of 294 public elementary schools	67.7%		80.1	71^st of 428 public elementary schools	83.4%	24	69.3	66.5	69.1		68.3	66.7	73.5	78.9		73.7	93.6	93.6	$11,713	$106	$10,586
Elementary At Bennet	Public	PK, KG-5	50 Dogwood	Bennet	68317	Lancaster County	Palmyra District O R 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 782-3535	385	29	13.2	11.7%	363 (94.3%)	4 (1.0%)	10 (2.6%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	77.3	59^th of 294 public elementary schools	79.9%		70.3	125^th of 428 public elementary schools	70.8%	66	68.4	74.6	68.2		70.3	80.7	88.1	75.8		81.3	92.4	92.4	$13,969	$561	$11,927
Elementary School At Syracuse	Public	PK, KG-3	550 7th St	Syracuse	68446	Otoe County	Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 269-2382	277	19	14.9	17.3%	262 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.7%)								(n/a)	70.0				70.0	76.7				76.7			$14,479	$960	$11,542

Frequently Asked Questions about Sterling Elementary School

How many students attend Sterling Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 143 students attended Sterling Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Sterling Elementary School?

Students at Sterling Elementary School are 93% White, 6% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Sterling Elementary School attend?

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

High : Sterling High School

What district is Sterling Elementary School in?

Sterling Public Schools

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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.