Central Elementary School is a public elementary school in Kearney, Nebraska, serving 254 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Kearney Public Schools district, which is ranked 44 out of 212 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.
One key differentiator for Central Elementary is its racial diversity, with a student population that is 53.15% White, 34.65% Hispanic, and a mix of other races. This is higher diversity than nearby schools like Windy Hills Elementary and Meadowlark Elementary. However, Central Elementary also has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 67.72%, compared to 15.69% to 40.14% at nearby schools. This suggests the school serves a lower-income population, which may contribute to its lower academic performance on standardized tests compared to nearby schools.
Despite having a higher spending per student ($16,481) and a lower student-teacher ratio (13.4) than nearby schools, Central Elementary's student performance on the NSCAS tests is generally lower, especially in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, only 74% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in NSCAS/ELA, compared to 90% at Windy Hills Elementary and 86% at Meadowlark Elementary. This highlights the need to address the unique challenges and support needs of Central Elementary's diverse and lower-income student population to ensure equitable educational outcomes.
Students at Central Elementary School are 53% White, 35% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% American Indian, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.
Kearney Public Schools
Students who attend Central Elementary School usually go on to attend:Middle : Horizon Middle SchoolHigh : Kearney High School
In the 2022-23 school year, 254 students attended Central Elementary School.
Central Elementary School ranks 142nd of 459 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.