Kimball Public Schools

The Kimball Public Schools district in Nebraska consists of two schools: Mary Lynch Elementary and Kimball Junior/Senior High School. While the high school is performing well academically, with significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to state averages, the elementary school is struggling to keep up, with proficiency rates generally below state standards.

Mary Lynch Elementary has a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students, with over 52% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 44.91% at the high school. This socioeconomic factor may be contributing to the performance gap, as research has shown that lower-income students often face additional challenges in academic achievement. Additionally, Mary Lynch Elementary has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from 180th out of 457 Nebraska elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 296th out of 459 in 2022-2023.

The significant difference in spending per student between the elementary and high school ($18,187 vs. $25,097) may also be a factor in the performance gap, but more analysis would be needed to determine the relationship between funding and academic outcomes. Overall, the data provides a mixed picture of the Kimball Public Schools district, with the high school performing relatively well but the elementary school struggling to keep up. Further investigation into the causes of this performance gap and strategies to address it would be beneficial for the district and its students.