Best Public Schools in Zip Code 68420

Summary:

The 68420 zip code area is home to two schools - Pawnee City Elementary School and Pawnee City Secondary School, both part of the Pawnee City Public Schools district. While the district as a whole is ranked 71st out of 115 in Nebraska, the secondary school stands out as a strong performer, ranking 22nd out of 168 Nebraska high schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pawnee City Secondary School impresses with its high test scores, with 55% of 11th graders proficient or better in ACT Math and Science, and 64.71% proficient or better in ACT English Language Arts. The school also boasts a strong 4-year graduation rate of 87.9% for the 2024-2025 school year. In contrast, Pawnee City Elementary School performs relatively well on NSCAS tests, exceeding the state averages in several subjects, and has a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 19.3% for the 2024-2025 school year.

Despite the district's overall lower ranking, the data suggests a potential imbalance in resource allocation, with Pawnee City Secondary School spending significantly more per student ($30,630) compared to Pawnee City Elementary ($19,827). Additionally, both schools have relatively high free/reduced lunch rates, indicating the district may be serving a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, which could impact student performance and other outcomes.

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)	ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT 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 All Grades	NSCAS Mathematics All Grades	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pawnee City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	729 E St	Pawnee City	68420	Pawnee County	Pawnee City Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 852-2411	160	12	13.8	60.6%	145 (90.6%)	4 (2.5%)	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.1%)								(n/a)	55.7	57.0			$19,827	$1,723	$16,066
Pawnee City Secondary School	Public	7-12	729 E St	Pawnee City	68420	Pawnee County	Pawnee City Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 852-2988	112	13	8.6	59.8%	109 (97.3%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	57.1	69^th of 146 public high schools	52.7%		83.1	22^nd of 168 public high schools	86.9%	47	63.6		55.0	55.0	$30,630	$1,139	$24,268

Cities Near Zip Code 68420

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Pawnee City	0.32 mi	2	79^th
Humboldt	11.57 mi	3
Lewiston	16.23 mi	2
Tecumseh	17.86 mi	2	105^th
Johnson	22.18 mi	3	2^nd

See the top NE Nebraska cities

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.