Is Squire John Thomas Elementary a good school?

Squire John Thomas Elementary ranks 132 nd of 428 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Squire John Thomas Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 390 students attended Squire John Thomas Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Squire John Thomas Elementary?

Students at Squire John Thomas Elementary are 84% White, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Squire John Thomas Elementary attend?

Students who attend Squire John Thomas Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Gretna Middle School High : Gretna High School

Squire John Thomas Elementary

Summary:

Squire John Thomas Elementary is a public elementary school located in Gretna, Nebraska, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 390. The school is part of the Gretna Public Schools district, which is ranked 18th out of 182 districts in Nebraska and is rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Academically, Squire John Thomas Elementary has consistently ranked in the top half of Nebraska elementary schools, with its performance on the NSCAS tests generally on par with or slightly below the Gretna Public Schools district average, but above the state average in most grade levels and subjects. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were 60-72% for 3rd-5th grades, compared to 73-76% for the Gretna district and 57-61% for the state. The school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate was also higher than the district and state averages. However, the school faces some challenges, including a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, from 7.1% in 2020-2021 to 21.1% in 2023-2024.

When compared to nearby schools, Squire John Thomas Elementary's performance is generally on par with or slightly below other Gretna Public Schools elementary schools, such as Falling Waters, Palisades, Whitetail Creek, Harvest Hills, and Gretna Elementary. However, the school lags behind some of the top-performing elementary schools in the neighboring Millard Public Schools district, such as Wheeler, Reeder, Black Elk, and Upchurch, which consistently rank among the best in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

11221 Northridge Drive
Gretna, NE 68028-6935

(402) 332-5578

District: Gretna Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
132^nd of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,267

Students who attend Squire John Thomas Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Gretna Middle School
High:	Gretna High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 390

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.1%

Hispanic:

7.4%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 14.6%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Squire John Thomas Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Squire John Thomas Elementary ranks better than 69.2% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks 6^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Gretna Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.55. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Squire John Thomas Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Gretna Public Schools District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Squire John Thomas Elementary is $13,267, which is the 2^nd highest among 7 elementary schools in the Gretna Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Squire John Thomas Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Squire John Thomas Elementary 132^nd of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See Squire John Thomas Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Gretna Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Gretna Public Schools 18^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Squire John Thomas Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	84.88	18^th	418	95.7%
2007	74.65	76^th	430	82.3%
2008	71.25	53^rd	478	88.9%
2009	74.84	9^th	471	98.1%
2010	81.33	21^st	502	95.8%
2011	86.03	42^nd	473	91.1%
2012	80.48	58^th	480	87.9%
2013	75.78	72^nd	485	85.2%
2014	70.14	105^th	483	78.3%
2015	78.20	79^th	488	83.8%
2016	79.29	67^th	480	86.0%
2017	78.08	86^th	459	81.3%
2018	70.93	108^th	450	76.0%
2019	78.76	76^th	452	83.2%
2021	75.32	85^th	442	80.8%
2022	60.57	178^th	457	61.1%
2023	62.07	176^th	459	61.7%
2024	68.55	132^nd	428	69.2%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	28.35	10^th	13	23.1%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2019	60.07	122^nd	298	59.1%
2021	69.73	57^th	264	78.4%
2023	33.66	231^st	312	26.0%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	67.68	99^th	341	71.0%
2019	80.83	52^nd	349	85.1%
2021	60.99	106^th	318	66.7%
2022	51.92	156^th	337	53.7%
2023	49.12	175^th	349	49.9%
2024	59.58	87^th	203	57.1%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	63.61	112^th	347	67.7%
2019	72.46	79^th	367	78.5%
2021	77.22	51^st	328	84.5%
2022	60.95	131^st	356	63.2%
2023	70.26	102^nd	366	72.1%
2024	67.04	63^rd	203	69.0%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	66.83	102^nd	391	73.9%
2019	72.05	85^th	391	78.3%
2021	68.39	87^th	368	76.4%
2022	49.49	188^th	388	51.5%
2023	48.92	202^nd	385	47.5%
2024	60.88	95^th	261	63.6%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Nebraska Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Squire John Thomas Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	406	4	5	10	2	n/a	n/a	427
2006	442	4	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	462
2007	556	5	9	4	3	n/a	n/a	577
2008	485	7	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	502
2009	491	9	4	5	2	n/a	n/a	511
2010	550	9	1	7	3	n/a	n/a	570
2011	549	4	1	18	3	0	6	581
2012	560	4	2	20	4	0	7	597
2013	439	7	3	11	3	0	6	469
2014	473	10	2	8	2	1	5	501
2015	519	8	2	9	2	2	7	549
2016	512	7	3	16	3	1	12	554
2017	545	6	7	20	4	2	10	594
2018	522	3	5	23	3	1	12	569
2019	546	2	0	28	2	1	22	601
2020	573	5	2	38	3	1	16	638
2021	539	8	4	44	2	0	17	614
2022	348	4	2	34	2	0	20	410
2023	328	3	8	29	1	0	21	390

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Squire John Thomas Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	427	26.3	16.2	6.6
2006	462	31.0	14.9	6.1
2007	577	34.1	16.9	8.1
2008	502	40.5	12.4	8.8
2009	511	30.5	16.8	7.8
2010	570	33.8	16.8	8.6
2011	581	35.5	16.3	9.8
2012	597	37.0	16.1	8.2
2013	469	30.5	15.3	16.2
2014	501	30.5	16.4	18.6
2015	549	33.0	16.6	13.8
2016	554	34.0	16.2	13.7
2017	594	36.3	16.3	11.8
2018	569	35.3	16.1	10.7
2019	601	34.8	17.2	11.6
2020	638	36.4	17.5	13.6
2021	614	36.3	16.8	15.8
2022	410	30.1	13.5	12.7
2023	390	28.9	13.4	14.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Squire John Thomas Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	427	26.3	16.2	6.6
2006	462	31.0	14.9	6.1
2007	577	34.1	16.9	8.1
2008	502	40.5	12.4	8.8
2009	511	30.5	16.8	7.8
2010	570	33.8	16.8	8.6
2011	581	35.5	16.3	9.8
2012	597	37.0	16.1	8.2
2013	469	30.5	15.3	16.2
2014	501	30.5	16.4	18.6
2015	549	33.0	16.6	13.8
2016	554	34.0	16.2	13.7
2017	594	36.3	16.3	11.8
2018	569	35.3	16.1	10.7
2019	601	34.8	17.2	11.6
2020	638	36.4	17.5	13.6
2021	614	36.3	16.8	15.8
2022	410	30.1	13.5	12.7
2023	390	28.9	13.4	14.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Squire John Thomas Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$29 (0.3%)	$8,124 (91.0%)	$8,925
2020	$181 (2.1%)	$7,890 (89.6%)	$8,801
2021	$586 (6.2%)	$8,053 (85.5%)	$9,422
2022	$555 (4.5%)	$10,312 (83.8%)	$12,309
2023	$39 (0.3%)	$11,555 (87.1%)	$13,267

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Squire John Thomas Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 76^th of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 176^th of 459 Elementary schools	21.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	80	70	10%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gretna Public Schools)	76	80	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	77	59	18%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gretna Public Schools)	76	69	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	63	63
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gretna Public Schools)	71	73	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	55	70	15%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gretna Public Schools)	68	76	8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	65	60	5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Gretna Public Schools)	64	72	8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	48	56	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	84	71	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Gretna Public Schools)	78	82	4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	54	65	11%
5th Grade Science (Squire John Thomas Elementary)	81	78	3%
5th Grade Science (Gretna Public Schools)	87	89	2%
5th Grade Science (Nebraska)	68	76	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	601	390	35.1%
African American	2	3	50%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	0	8
Hispanic	28	29	3.6%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	546	328	39.9%
Two or More Races	22	21	4.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.6%	14.6%	3%

Schools Near Squire John Thomas Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NSCAS English Language Arts (2024)			NSCAS Mathematics (2024)			NSCAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NSCAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	NSCAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 4th Grade	NSCAS Mathematics 5th Grade	NSCAS Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Squire John Thomas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	11221 Northridge Drive	Gretna	68028	Sarpy County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 332-5578	390	29	13.4	14.6%	328 (84.1%)	3 (0.8%)	29 (7.4%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.4%)	68.5	132^nd of 428 public elementary schools	69.2%		62.1	176^th of 459 public elementary schools	61.7%	44	60.4	68.4	67.8	60.4	71.1	72.9	91.5	$13,267	$39	$11,555
Harvest Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	19125 Fir Street	Gretna	68028	Sarpy County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 332-5957	417	27	15.4	6.2%	367 (88.0%)	4 (1.0%)	22 (5.3%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.6%)	87.3	31^st of 428 public elementary schools	92.8%		82.9	56^th of 459 public elementary schools	87.8%	25	76.9	72.8	88.1	80.0	77.8	88.1		$12,544	$39	$10,779
Aspen Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10325 South 188th Street	Omaha	68136	Sarpy County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 332-5617	481	30	15.8	4.4%	434 (90.2%)	4 (0.8%)	21 (4.4%)	10 (2.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	89.9	17^th of 428 public elementary schools	96.0%		86.3	38^th of 459 public elementary schools	91.7%	21	71.1		82.6	88.2	89.6	83.7	94.2	$12,347	$39	$10,817
Gretna Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	801 South St	Gretna	68028	Sarpy County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 332-3341	463	32	14.4	13.0%	430 (92.9%)	3 (0.6%)	19 (4.1%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	81.6	60^th of 428 public elementary schools	86.0%		81.7	63^rd of 459 public elementary schools	86.3%	3	75.4	77.9	75.3	72.5	76.6	75.3		$13,422	$39	$11,621
Whitetail Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19110 Greenleaf Street	Omaha	68136	Sarpy County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 895-3388	538	34	15.6	6.5%	465 (86.4%)	5 (0.9%)	31 (5.8%)	16 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	74.8	99^th of 428 public elementary schools	76.9%		72.8	117^th of 459 public elementary schools	74.5%	18	75.2	62.5	68.8	73.3	65.3	77.1	92.7	$11,411	$39	$10,136
Reeder Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	19202 Chandler St	Gretna	68028	Sarpy County	Millard Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 715-6420	542	32	16.9	12.2%	470 (86.7%)	12 (2.2%)	26 (4.8%)	13 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	19 (3.5%)	93.4	7^th of 428 public elementary schools	98.4%		93	11^th of 459 public elementary schools	97.6%	4	79.5	90.3	86.8	81.9	88.7	93.4		$12,200	$1,382	$9,777
Palisades Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16820 Chutney Dr	Omaha	68136	Sarpy County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 895-2194	490	33	14.8	5.9%	416 (84.9%)	10 (2.0%)	29 (5.9%)	17 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	87.6	30^th of 428 public elementary schools	93.0%		86.3	39^th of 459 public elementary schools	91.5%	9	81.9	77.5	74.4	76.4	85.4	82.2	93.3	$12,968	$39	$11,573
Upchurch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8686 S 165th St	Omaha	68136	Sarpy County	Millard Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 715-7150	393	30	12.9	14.5%	311 (79.1%)	7 (1.8%)	26 (6.6%)	21 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.9%)	92.1	11^th of 428 public elementary schools	97.4%		93.9	6^th of 459 public elementary schools	98.7%	5	85.3	88.8	84.9		93.3	83.0	88.7	$14,321	$2,296	$10,884
Falling Waters Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5909 S 200th Ave	Omaha	68135	Douglas County	Gretna Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 332-3938	516	34	15.2	13.4%	442 (85.7%)	8 (1.6%)	32 (6.2%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.0%)	62.3	178^th of 428 public elementary schools	58.4%		82.6	58^th of 459 public elementary schools	87.4%	120	71.1	69.2	62.0	73.3	49.0	57.0	88.6	$11,833	$39	$10,526
Wheeler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6707 S 178th St	Omaha	68135	Douglas County	Millard Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 715-6250	657	36	18.0	18.0%	537 (81.7%)	12 (1.8%)	39 (5.9%)	34 (5.2%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (4.6%)	89.8	20^th of 428 public elementary schools	95.3%		88.8	24^th of 459 public elementary schools	94.8%	4	76.1	76.8	79.2	86.3	88.0	88.1		$10,249	$319	$9,147

Squire John Thomas Elementary

Squire John Thomas Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Gretna Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rank History for all students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rank History for White students at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Enrollment information for Squire John Thomas Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Squire John Thomas Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Squire John Thomas Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Squire John Thomas Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Squire John Thomas Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Squire John Thomas Elementary