Is Bell Elementary a good school?

Bell Elementary ranks 70 th of 428 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Bell Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 479 students attended Bell Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Bell Elementary?

Students at Bell Elementary are 79% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Bell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bell Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Papillion Middle School High : Papillion La Vista South High School

Bell Elementary

Summary:

Bell Elementary is a public elementary school located in Papillion, Nebraska, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 476 students. The school is part of the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district, which is ranked 77 out of 182 districts in Nebraska and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Bell Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Nebraska, ranking 70th out of 428 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students perform significantly better than the state and district averages in NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) tests for English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 79.37% of 6th-grade students at Bell Elementary were proficient or better in NSCAS English Language Arts, compared to 73.31% for the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district and 58.3% for the state of Nebraska.

While Bell Elementary outperforms most of the nearby schools in the Papillion La Vista Community Schools district, the district as a whole faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, with all nearby schools having similar high rates of 21.1% for the 2023-2024 school year. Additionally, Bell Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 12.39% in 2022-2023, compared to some nearby schools like Tara Heights Elementary (33.41%) and Carriage Hill Elementary (38.9%), which have higher rates of economically disadvantaged students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

7909 Reed Street
Papillion, NE 68046-4431

(402) 898-0408

District: Papillion La Vista Community Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
70^th of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,081

Students who attend Bell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Papillion Middle School
High:	Papillion La Vista South High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.9

Number of students: 479

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.1%

Hispanic:

9.4%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 14.2%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Bell Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bell Elementary ranks better than 83.6% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks 4^th among 16 ranked elementary schools in the Papillion La Vista Community Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 80.44. (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 Racial makeup is: White (79.1%), Hispanic (9.4%), two or more races (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 14.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bell Elementary is 15.9. 13 elementary schools in the Papillion La Vista Community Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Bell Elementary employs 29.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bell Elementary is $12,081. 13 elementary schools in the Papillion La Vista Community Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bell Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bell Elementary 70^th of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See Bell Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Papillion La Vista Community Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Papillion La Vista Community Schools 77^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Bell Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Bell Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Bell Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2010	70.67	95^th	502	81.1%
2011	67.43	132^nd	473	72.1%
2012	65.00	146^th	480	69.6%
2013	68.45	126^th	485	74.0%
2014	75.04	84^th	483	82.6%
2015	77.75	82^nd	488	83.2%
2016	80.52	63^rd	480	86.9%
2017	82.35	48^th	459	89.5%
2018	82.04	54^th	450	88.0%
2019	67.53	129^th	452	71.5%
2021	86.21	38^th	442	91.4%
2022	73.89	91^st	457	80.1%
2023	77.15	90^th	459	80.4%
2024	80.44	70^th	428	83.6%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	72.49	75^th	341	78.0%
2019	62.91	125^th	349	64.2%
2021	77.93	53^rd	318	83.3%
2022	67.92	95^th	337	71.8%
2023	69.71	96^th	349	72.5%
2024	72.50	50^th	203	75.4%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	44.85	5^th	8	37.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	83.82	32^nd	347	90.8%
2019	68.64	97^th	367	73.6%
2021	88.40	19^th	328	94.2%
2022	75.13	67^th	356	81.2%
2023	79.31	65^th	366	82.2%
2024	81.98	25^th	203	87.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Bell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	76.66	61^st	391	84.4%
2019	60.85	133^rd	391	66.0%
2021	82.38	40^th	368	89.1%
2022	68.83	91^st	388	76.5%
2023	70.40	88^th	385	77.1%
2024	71.93	68^th	261	73.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, March 11, 2013

Our kids have gone to Bell since shortly after it opened in 2009. The kids love their school. The teachers and staff are friendly, helpful and seem eager to help the kids learn. Good or bad, there is rarely homework, but 20 minutes of reading and 15 minutes of math is encouraged nightly. The school has grown a lot since it opened. Hopefully the school can keep up with the continued growth within a growing nice neighborhood in papillion, ne. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bell Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	213	12	7	14	2	n/a	n/a	248
2011	277	10	6	19	1	0	11	324
2012	339	14	5	21	0	0	16	395
2013	405	15	7	19	6	0	18	470
2014	446	15	7	20	1	1	19	509
2015	471	19	7	22	0	1	21	541
2016	492	15	4	22	1	1	19	554
2017	480	12	5	22	1	0	22	542
2018	451	13	12	23	2	0	22	523
2019	448	10	11	34	2	0	20	525
2020	447	13	12	39	0	0	24	535
2021	398	11	14	42	0	0	22	487
2022	390	10	13	39	1	2	32	487
2023	379	9	16	38	1	2	31	476
2024	379	7	16	45	4	2	26	479

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 Bell Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	248	15.8	15.6	14.9
2011	324	21.6	15.0	15.1
2012	395	24.0	16.4	14.4
2013	470	26.8	17.5	10.4
2014	509	30.3	16.7	7.9
2015	541	33.0	16.3	5.5
2016	554	35.0	15.8	10.5
2017	542	34.4	15.7	10.9
2018	523	30.3	17.2	7.8
2019	525	29.9	17.5	11.6
2020	535	30.3	17.6	11.6
2021	487	31.4	15.4	10.5
2022	487	30.9	15.7	10.9
2023	476	30.9	15.3	12.4
2024	479	29.9	15.9	14.2

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 Bell Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	248	15.8	15.6	14.9
2011	324	21.6	15.0	15.1
2012	395	24.0	16.4	14.4
2013	470	26.8	17.5	10.4
2014	509	30.3	16.7	7.9
2015	541	33.0	16.3	5.5
2016	554	35.0	15.8	10.5
2017	542	34.4	15.7	10.9
2018	523	30.3	17.2	7.8
2019	525	29.9	17.5	11.6
2020	535	30.3	17.6	11.6
2021	487	31.4	15.4	10.5
2022	487	30.9	15.7	10.9
2023	476	30.9	15.3	12.4
2024	479	29.9	15.9	14.2

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 Bell Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$111 (1.2%)	$8,154 (90.8%)	$8,977
2020	$128 (1.4%)	$8,624 (91.0%)	$9,475
2021	$231 (2.3%)	$9,260 (90.2%)	$10,265
2022	$119 (1.1%)	$9,644 (91.2%)	$10,575
2023	$97 (0.8%)	$10,779 (89.2%)	$12,081

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bell 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 129^th of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 90^th of 459 Elementary schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Bell Elementary)	57	76	19%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	62	69	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Bell Elementary)	59	73	14%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	58	64	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Bell Elementary)	73	68	5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	67	63	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Bell Elementary)	43	66	23%
4th Grade Mathematics (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	50	62	12%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Bell Elementary)	66	65	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	51	66	15%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	48	56	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Bell Elementary)	63	76	13%
5th Grade Mathematics (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	56	70	14%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	54	65	11%
5th Grade Science (Bell Elementary)	84	85	1%
5th Grade Science (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	72	80	8%
5th Grade Science (Nebraska)	68	76	8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Bell Elementary)	78	87	9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	60	71	11%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	49	55	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bell Elementary)	56	82	26%
6th Grade Mathematics (Papillion La Vista Community Schools)	56	72	16%
6th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	57	2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	525	476	9.3%
African American	10	9	10%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	11	16	45.5%
Hispanic	34	38	11.8%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	448	379	15.4%
Two or More Races	20	31	55%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	11.6%	12.4%	0.8%

Schools Near Bell Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	7909 Reed Street	Papillion	68046	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-0408	479	30	15.9	14.2%	379 (79.1%)	7 (1.5%)	45 (9.4%)	16 (3.3%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	26 (5.4%)	80.4	70^th of 428 public elementary schools	83.6%		77.2	90^th of 459 public elementary schools	80.4%	20	$12,081	$97	$10,779
Esu 3 Head Start - Sccdc	Public	PK	701 Olson Dr; Suite 112/113	Papillion	68046	Dawson County	Educational Service Unit 03	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 339-6592	28	1	28.0	89.3%	15 (53.6%)	11 (39.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (7.1%)								(n/a)
Walnut Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	720 Fenwick St	Papillion	68046	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-9630	419	29	14.5	19.3%	301 (71.8%)	23 (5.5%)	50 (11.9%)	10 (2.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	32 (7.6%)	73.6	101^st of 428 public elementary schools	76.4%		66.9	150^th of 459 public elementary schools	67.3%	49	$13,614	$884	$11,422
Carriage Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	400 Cedardale Rd	Papillion	68046	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 898-0449	374	31	11.9		256 (68.4%)	24 (6.4%)	46 (12.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	42 (11.2%)	51.9	246^th of 428 public elementary schools	42.5%		46.3	264^th of 459 public elementary schools	42.5%	18	$16,935	$753	$14,529
Patriot Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1701 Hardwood Dr	Papillion	68046	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-0405	382	25	15.2	17.8%	285 (74.6%)	23 (6.0%)	39 (10.2%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.6%)	80.7	68^th of 428 public elementary schools	84.1%		80.9	65^th of 459 public elementary schools	85.8%	3	$12,153	$99	$10,760
Trumble Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	500 Valley Rd	Papillion	68046	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-0466	396	29	13.6	37.9%	306 (77.3%)	8 (2.0%)	56 (14.1%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.8%)	60.9	190^th of 428 public elementary schools	55.6%		64.7	163^rd of 459 public elementary schools	64.5%	27	$13,469	$111	$12,061
Bellevue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	12001 Timberridge Dr	Bellevue	68133	Sarpy County	Bellevue Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 827-1840	459	26	17.3	19.4%	307 (66.9%)	24 (5.2%)	61 (13.3%)	10 (2.2%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.5%)	48 (10.5%)	86.8	33^rd of 428 public elementary schools	92.3%		88	29^th of 459 public elementary schools	93.7%	4	$13,336	$720	$11,404
Rumsey Station Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	110 Eagle Ridge Dr	Papillion	68133	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-0475	376	25	15.1	14.4%	294 (78.2%)	11 (2.9%)	49 (13.0%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	71.4	114^th of 428 public elementary schools	73.4%		67.7	146^th of 459 public elementary schools	68.2%	32	$13,576	$421	$11,593
Tara Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	700 Tara Rd	Papillion	68046	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-0445	404	29	13.8	32.2%	299 (74.0%)	15 (3.7%)	54 (13.4%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.7%)	77.1	87^th of 428 public elementary schools	79.7%		75.7	96^th of 459 public elementary schools	79.1%	9	$12,204	$97	$10,971
Anderson Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	11820 S 37th St	Bellevue	68123	Sarpy County	Papillion La Vista Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 898-0479	323	22	14.9	20.7%	213 (65.9%)	11 (3.4%)	61 (18.9%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.2%)	67	140^th of 428 public elementary schools	67.3%		72	121^st of 459 public elementary schools	73.6%	19	$12,620	$106	$11,180

Bell Elementary

Bell Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Papillion La Vista Community Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Bell Elementary

Rank History for all students at Bell Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Bell Elementary

Rank History for Military Connected students at Bell Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Bell Elementary

Rank History for White students at Bell Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Bell Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bell Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Bell Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bell Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Bell Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Bell Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Bell Elementary

Rate Bell Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!