Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools

The Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools district in Nebraska is home to two schools: Howells Senior High School and Howells-Dodge Elementary School/Dodge. The high school stands out as a top performer in the state, consistently ranking highly and excelling in test scores, particularly in mathematics and science. In contrast, the elementary school shows more mixed results, with some grades performing above the state average and others below.

Howells Senior High School boasts a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and a statewide ranking of 19th out of 168 Nebraska high schools for the 2023-2024 school year. The school's graduation rate is a strong 88.1%, and its students outperform the state averages in all tested subjects, with particularly impressive results in ACT/Mathematics (73.33% proficient or better) and NSCAS/Science for 8th grade (71% proficient or better). However, both schools in the district have a higher chronic absenteeism rate of 21.1% compared to the state average.

While the high school appears to be a standout, the elementary school has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (39.29%) compared to the high school (34.93%). Additionally, the elementary school spends more per student ($23,951) than the high school ($21,200), which may indicate a focus on early education. The district may want to investigate the factors contributing to the high chronic absenteeism rates and explore ways to improve performance at the elementary level.