Kearney High School

Summary:

Kearney High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Kearney, Nebraska, with a total enrollment of 1,629 students. The school is part of the Kearney Public Schools district, which is ranked 44 out of 212 districts in Nebraska and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kearney High School stands out for its diverse student population, with 78.88% White, 2.46% African American, 15.84% Hispanic, 0.86% Asian, 0.55% Native American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 1.29% two or more races. This diversity is higher compared to nearby schools like Pleasanton High School and Axtell High School, which tend to have more homogeneous student populations. Academically, Kearney High School has shown consistent improvement, with proficiency rates in ACT/English Language Arts (44.07%), ACT/Mathematics (33.41%), and ACT/Science (32.45%) all higher than the state averages in the 2022-2023 school year. The school's statewide ranking has also steadily improved, from 211 out of 247 Nebraska high schools in 2013-2014 to 80 out of 215 in 2022-2023, with a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Kearney High School has made progress, some nearby schools, such as Pleasanton High School and Axtell High School, have outperformed Kearney in certain academic metrics, particularly in ACT/English Language Arts and ACT/Mathematics proficiency rates. Additionally, Kearney High School serves a significant population of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, with 32.91% to 36.05% of students receiving free or reduced-lunch over the past three school years. The school's spending per student has increased from $10,391 in 2019-2020 to $13,043 in 2022-2023, indicating a commitment to investing in resources and infrastructure, though its student-teacher ratio remains higher than some nearby smaller schools.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 2702 West 11th Street
       Kearney, NE  68845-0102


(308) 698-8060

District: Kearney Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
80th of 215 Nebraska High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,043 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  17.9 Help
Number of students:  1,629

Racial breakdown:

White:
78.9%
Hispanic:
15.8%
African American:
2.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  35.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Kearney High School ranks better than 62.8% of high schools in Nebraska. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 61.97. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Kearney High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78.9%), Hispanic (15.8%), African American (2.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 35.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kearney High School is 17.9. (See more...)
Help
Compare Kearney High School employs 90.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kearney High School is $13,043.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Kearney High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kearney High School 80th of 215 Nebraska public high schools. (See Kearney High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Kearney Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kearney Public Schools 44th of 212 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Kearney High School?

Rank History for Kearney High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 57.85 110th 249 55.8%
2007 48.97 149th 247 39.7%
2008 34.29 210th 252 16.7%
2009 36.58 199th 251 20.7%
2010 53.88 128th 249 48.6%
2011 47.40 154th 252 38.9%
2012 42.64 167th 245 31.8%
2013 25.92 206th 247 16.6%
2014 23.03 211th 247 14.6%
2015 23.99 209th 242 13.6%
2016 31.86 187th 246 24.0%
2017 35.92 140th 219 36.1%
2018 34.13 149th 219 32.0%
2019 38.15 136th 217 37.3%
2021 48.88 106th 209 49.3%
2022 47.71 107th 202 47.0%
2023 61.97 80th 215 62.8%
See the entire list of Nebraska High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 8.63 12th 13 7.7%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.52 49th 79 38.0%
2019 34.20 53rd 82 35.4%
2021 41.50 43rd 83 48.2%
2022 49.50 32nd 74 56.8%
2023 39.48 49th 89 44.9%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.44 115th 144 20.1%
2019 32.13 102nd 142 28.2%
2021 43.43 82nd 138 40.6%
2022 44.50 74th 132 43.9%
2023 47.18 75th 136 44.9%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.97 74th 138 46.4%
2019 42.79 85th 140 39.3%
2021 47.19 66th 130 49.2%
2022 44.65 73rd 135 45.9%
2023 70.01 43rd 135 68.1%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 66.49 6th 15 60.0%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.77 21st 41 48.8%
2019 57.64 16th 43 62.8%
2021 34.56 18th 38 52.6%
2022 35.33 23rd 41 43.9%
2023 49.55 18th 41 56.1%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Kearney High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools NE State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.61 144th 205 29.8%
2019 35.93 137th 207 33.8%
2021 50.20 95th 200 52.5%
2022 48.94 98th 196 50.0%
2023 64.86 69th 206 66.5%
See the entire list of Best Nebraska High 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.

Kearney High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Kearney High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 858 4 5 34 0 n/a n/a 0 901
1989 1162 3 8 38 0 n/a n/a 0 1211
1990 1125 3 5 31 0 n/a n/a 0 1164
1991 1085 1 4 25 0 n/a n/a 0 1115
1992 1106 4 6 31 1 n/a n/a 0 1148
1993 1152 4 11 28 2 n/a n/a 0 1197
1994 1186 3 9 33 5 n/a n/a 0 1236
1995 1269 5 8 44 10 n/a n/a 0 1336
1996 1269 5 8 44 10 n/a n/a 0 1336
1997 1284 11 11 64 9 n/a n/a 0 1379
1998 1269 4 12 58 8 n/a n/a 0 1351
1999 1297 8 12 25 11 n/a n/a 18 1371
2000 1318 6 19 44 0 n/a n/a 0 1387
2001 1344 7 17 50 4 n/a n/a 0 1422
2002 1273 16 11 72 7 n/a n/a 0 1379
2003 1273 16 11 72 7 n/a n/a 0 1379
2004 1290 20 14 85 2 n/a n/a 0 1411
2005 1267 18 16 91 4 n/a n/a 0 1396
2006 1281 21 16 105 6 n/a n/a 0 1429
2007 1314 20 16 112 9 n/a n/a 0 1471
2008 1283 15 18 120 8 n/a n/a 0 1444
2009 1257 12 19 132 10 n/a n/a 0 1430
2010 1278 20 19 134 10 n/a n/a 0 1461
2011 1256 23 15 160 13 0 0 0 1467
2012 1223 22 15 150 12 1 6 0 1429
2013 1223 26 13 169 12 2 11 0 1456
2014 1179 32 18 167 9 2 16 0 1423
2015 1151 25 17 170 11 0 23 0 1397
2016 1186 24 15 179 11 1 25 0 1441
2017 1162 39 20 188 10 1 19 0 1439
2018 1192 36 24 213 12 2 18 0 1497
2019 1253 33 22 215 9 4 11 0 1547
2020 1297 33 25 223 9 3 9 0 1599
2021 1278 43 23 230 7 2 15 0 1598
2022 1278 50 19 266 5 2 15 0 1635
2023 1285 40 14 258 9 2 21 0 1629

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 Kearney High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 901 53.1 16.9 0
1989 1211 69.1 17.5 13.8
1990 1164 70.1 16.6 12.5
1991 1115 70.9 15.7 11.4
1992 1148 71.2 16.1 11.7
1993 1197 73.6 16.3 14.5
1994 1236 75.0 16.5 14.4
1995 1336 78.4 17.0 12
1996 1336 78.4 17.0 12
1997 1379 74.4 18.5 11.2
1998 1351 76.6 17.6 11.4
1999 1371 76.4 17.9 15.7
2000 1387 79.2 17.5 20.5
2001 1422 80.6 17.6 21.8
2002 1379 85.2 16.2 26
2003 1379 85.2 16.2 26
2004 1411 85.2 16.6 21.3
2005 1396 86.7 16.1 23.7
2006 1429 86.9 16.4 21.8
2007 1471 87.1 16.9 28.9
2008 1444 86.1 16.8 26.7
2009 1430 87.1 16.4 31.7
2010 1461 88.3 16.5 33.7
2011 1467 87.9 16.6 31
2012 1429 81.8 17.4 36.6
2013 1456 84.9 17.1 38.5
2014 1423 85.8 16.5 37.7
2015 1397 87.0 16.0 37.1
2016 1441 85.0 16.9 36.8
2017 1439 89.3 16.1 34.7
2018 1497 89.9 16.6 38.5
2019 1547 88.9 17.3 35.9
2020 1599 88.3 18.1 34.7
2021 1598 93.1 17.1 36
2022 1635 90.9 17.9 32.9
2023 1629 90.7 17.9 35.2

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 Kearney High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 901 53.1 16.9 0
1989 1211 69.1 17.5 13.8
1990 1164 70.1 16.6 12.5
1991 1115 70.9 15.7 11.4
1992 1148 71.2 16.1 11.7
1993 1197 73.6 16.3 14.5
1994 1236 75.0 16.5 14.4
1995 1336 78.4 17.0 12
1996 1336 78.4 17.0 12
1997 1379 74.4 18.5 11.2
1998 1351 76.6 17.6 11.4
1999 1371 76.4 17.9 15.7
2000 1387 79.2 17.5 20.5
2001 1422 80.6 17.6 21.8
2002 1379 85.2 16.2 26
2003 1379 85.2 16.2 26
2004 1411 85.2 16.6 21.3
2005 1396 86.7 16.1 23.7
2006 1429 86.9 16.4 21.8
2007 1471 87.1 16.9 28.9
2008 1444 86.1 16.8 26.7
2009 1430 87.1 16.4 31.7
2010 1461 88.3 16.5 33.7
2011 1467 87.9 16.6 31
2012 1429 81.8 17.4 36.6
2013 1456 84.9 17.1 38.5
2014 1423 85.8 16.5 37.7
2015 1397 87.0 16.0 37.1
2016 1441 85.0 16.9 36.8
2017 1439 89.3 16.1 34.7
2018 1497 89.9 16.6 38.5
2019 1547 88.9 17.3 35.9
2020 1599 88.3 18.1 34.7
2021 1598 93.1 17.1 36
2022 1635 90.9 17.9 32.9
2023 1629 90.7 17.9 35.2

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 Kearney High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $214 (2.0%) $8,689 (81.6%) $10,646
2020 $214 (2.1%) $8,473 (81.5%) $10,391
2021 $451 (4.0%) $9,041 (80.1%) $11,289
2022 $852 (6.8%) $9,479 (75.8%) $12,512
2023 $308 (2.4%) $10,356 (79.4%) $13,043

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kearney High School

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 136th of 217 High schoolsRanks 80th of 215 High schools
 25.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Kearney High School)33.344.1
 10.7%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Kearney Public Schools)33.344.1
 10.7%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)37.433.4
 4.1%
11th Grade Mathematics (Kearney High School)31.233.4
 2.2%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Kearney Public Schools)31.233.4
 2.2%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)30.926.2
 4.6%
11th Grade Science (Kearney High School)27.632.5
 4.8%
   11th Grade Science (Kearney Public Schools)27.632.5
 4.8%
   11th Grade Science (Nebraska)26.425.3
 1.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students15471629
 5.3%
African American3340
 21.2%
American Indian99
Asian2214
 36.4%
Hispanic215258
 20%
Pacific Islander42
 50%
White12531285
 2.6%
Two or More Races1121
 90.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients35.9%35.2%
 0.7%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Kearney High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,629 students attended Kearney High School.

Kearney High School ranks 80th of 215 Nebraska high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Kearney High School are 79% White, 16% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Two or more races.


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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.





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