Is Pender Elementary School a good school?

Pender Elementary School ranks 77 th of 428 Nebraska elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pender Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 239 students attended Pender Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Pender Elementary School?

Students at Pender Elementary School are 83% White, 10% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Pender Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Pender Elementary School usually go on to attend: High : Pender High School

Pender Elementary School

Summary:

Pender Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 261 students in grades PK-6 in Pender, Nebraska. Part of the Pender Public Schools district, which is ranked 10th out of 182 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating, Pender Elementary has consistently been one of the top-performing elementary schools in Nebraska, ranking within the top 20 schools in the state for several years.

Pender Elementary School's academic performance is exceptional, with students consistently outperforming the state average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, 82.05% of 4th graders, 62.86% of 5th graders, and 80.65% of 6th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 58.98%, 57.43%, and 58.3%, respectively. Similarly, in Mathematics, 82.05% of 4th graders, 65.71% of 5th graders, and 80.65% of 6th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 59.96%, 61.1%, and 57.22%. The school also excels in supporting the academic achievement of various student subgroups, ranking highly among Nebraska elementary schools for its low socioeconomic status (SES) students, as well as its female and male students.

While Pender Elementary School outperforms the state average, nearby schools such as Wayne Elementary School and Wisner-Pilger Elementary School also demonstrate strong academic performance, with several grade levels exceeding the state averages in ELA and Mathematics. This suggests that the region may have a concentration of high-performing elementary schools. Additionally, Pender Elementary School's higher per-student spending compared to the state average may contribute to its academic success, as the additional resources can be used to provide more personalized instruction, professional development for teachers, and targeted interventions for struggling students.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

609 Whitney St
Pender, NE 68047-5036

(402) 385-3244

District: Pender Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
77^th of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,238

Students who attend Pender Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Pender High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 239

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.3%

Hispanic:

9.6%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.3%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Pender Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pender Elementary School ranks better than 82% of elementary schools in Nebraska. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.18. (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 (83.3%), Hispanic (9.6%), two or more races (3.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pender Elementary School is 11.6. (See more...)

Compare Pender Elementary School employs 20.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pender Elementary School is $19,238.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pender Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pender Elementary School 77^th of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See Pender Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Pender Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Pender Public Schools 10^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Pender Elementary School?

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Rank History for Pender Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Pender Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	61.62	166^th	418	60.3%
2007	69.89	107^th	430	75.1%
2008	60.38	211^th	478	55.9%
2009	47.56	325^th	471	31.0%
2010	59.54	206^th	502	59.0%
2011	48.62	256^th	473	45.9%
2012	55.31	225^th	480	53.1%
2013	57.89	203^rd	485	58.1%
2014	63.34	160^th	483	66.9%
2015	84.21	39^th	488	92.0%
2016	84.61	41^st	480	91.5%
2017	91.56	7^th	459	98.5%
2018	94.72	8^th	450	98.2%
2019	93.36	15^th	452	96.7%
2021	93.94	14^th	442	96.8%
2022	91.16	17^th	457	96.3%
2023	85.37	43^rd	459	90.6%
2024	79.18	77^th	428	82.0%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pender Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2021	92.75	7^th	264	97.3%
2022	84.39	19^th	259	92.7%
2023	93.22	5^th	312	98.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Pender Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2019	93.90	10^th	349	97.1%
2021	90.25	14^th	318	95.6%
2022	92.94	8^th	337	97.6%
2023	82.33	50^th	349	85.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Pender Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	95.49	6^th	347	98.3%
2019	94.29	11^th	367	97.0%
2021	93.57	9^th	328	97.3%
2022	80.13	47^th	356	86.8%
2023	82.56	52^nd	366	85.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Pender Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	95.73	3^rd	391	99.2%
2019	93.37	12^th	391	96.9%
2021	93.73	9^th	368	97.6%
2022	85.80	27^th	388	93.0%
2023	78.34	58^th	385	84.9%
2024	66.33	81^st	261	69.0%

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 Pender Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	144	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	144
1989	155	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	155
1990	161	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	163
1991	168	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	168
1992	164	0	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	166
1993	166	1	0	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	170
1994	174	1	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	176
1995	171	4	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	178
1996	171	4	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	178
1997	166	5	0	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	174
1998	154	5	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	162
1999	152	4	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	2	160
2000	163	2	0	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	169
2001	169	1	0	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	176
2002	167	1	0	8	6	n/a	n/a	0	182
2003	167	1	0	8	6	n/a	n/a	0	182
2004	160	0	0	1	4	n/a	n/a	0	165
2005	164	0	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	0	172
2006	159	0	0	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	165
2007	177	0	0	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	192
2008	155	0	0	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	169
2009	149	0	1	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	165
2010	171	0	0	15	5	n/a	n/a	0	191
2011	171	0	0	10	3	1	0	0	185
2012	181	1	0	20	1	0	0	0	203
2013	189	1	0	16	3	1	0	0	210
2014	187	0	0	12	5	0	2	0	206
2015	201	1	0	11	4	0	3	0	220
2016	219	1	0	10	8	0	2	0	240
2017	220	1	0	9	5	0	2	0	237
2018	222	1	0	10	2	0	4	0	239
2019	233	2	0	12	3	0	4	0	254
2020	229	2	0	19	3	0	3	0	256
2021	231	2	0	21	3	0	3	0	260
2022	220	1	0	19	4	0	4	0	248
2023	220	1	2	25	4	0	9	0	261
2024	199	1	1	23	6	0	9	0	239

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 Pender Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	144	10.9	13.2	17.4
1989	155	11.4	13.5	14.2
1990	163	12.5	13.0	17.2
1991	168	13.2	12.7	14.9
1992	166	13.2	12.5	16.3
1993	170	13.5	12.6	12.4
1994	176	13.3	13.2	13.6
1995	178	13.5	13.2	20.8
1996	178	13.5	13.2	20.8
1997	174	13.5	12.9	17.2
1998	162	13.5	12.0	13.6
1999	160	14.5	11.0	38.6
2000	169	12.7	13.3	28.4
2001	176	14.3	12.3	25
2002	182	13.4	13.6	36.3
2003	182	13.4	13.6	36.3
2004	165	11.3	14.6	29.1
2005	172	11.4	15.1	29.1
2006	165	11.2	14.7	31.5
2007	192	11.8	16.3	32.8
2008	169	11.4	14.8	37.9
2009	165	10.9	15.1	47.9
2010	191	11.4	16.7	40.8
2011	185	12.2	15.1	38.9
2012	203	13.2	15.3	44.3
2013	210	14.0	14.9	36.2
2014	206	14.0	14.6	38.8
2015	220	14.0	15.7	24.1
2016	240	15.0	16.0	27.5
2017	237	17.2	13.7	33.3
2018	239	17.7	13.5	41
2019	254	19.4	13.0	45.7
2020	256	19.2	13.2	43
2021	260	20.1	12.9	45.8
2022	248	19.1	12.9	41.9
2023	261	20.1	12.9	43.3
2024	239	20.4	11.6	47.3

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 Pender Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	144	10.9	13.2	17.4
1989	155	11.4	13.5	14.2
1990	163	12.5	13.0	17.2
1991	168	13.2	12.7	14.9
1992	166	13.2	12.5	16.3
1993	170	13.5	12.6	12.4
1994	176	13.3	13.2	13.6
1995	178	13.5	13.2	20.8
1996	178	13.5	13.2	20.8
1997	174	13.5	12.9	17.2
1998	162	13.5	12.0	13.6
1999	160	14.5	11.0	38.6
2000	169	12.7	13.3	28.4
2001	176	14.3	12.3	25
2002	182	13.4	13.6	36.3
2003	182	13.4	13.6	36.3
2004	165	11.3	14.6	29.1
2005	172	11.4	15.1	29.1
2006	165	11.2	14.7	31.5
2007	192	11.8	16.3	32.8
2008	169	11.4	14.8	37.9
2009	165	10.9	15.1	47.9
2010	191	11.4	16.7	40.8
2011	185	12.2	15.1	38.9
2012	203	13.2	15.3	44.3
2013	210	14.0	14.9	36.2
2014	206	14.0	14.6	38.8
2015	220	14.0	15.7	24.1
2016	240	15.0	16.0	27.5
2017	237	17.2	13.7	33.3
2018	239	17.7	13.5	41
2019	254	19.4	13.0	45.7
2020	256	19.2	13.2	43
2021	260	20.1	12.9	45.8
2022	248	19.1	12.9	41.9
2023	261	20.1	12.9	43.3
2024	239	20.4	11.6	47.3

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 Pender Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$776 (4.7%)	$13,772 (82.9%)	$16,620
2020	$758 (4.8%)	$13,015 (82.4%)	$15,797
2021	$1,042 (6.2%)	$13,765 (81.9%)	$16,814
2022	$1,507 (8.4%)	$14,494 (80.4%)	$18,022
2023	$1,447 (7.5%)	$15,784 (82.0%)	$19,238

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pender Elementary 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 15^th of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 43^rd of 459 Elementary schools	6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pender Elementary School)	90	92	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pender Public Schools)	90	92	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pender Elementary School)	93	94	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Pender Public Schools)	93	94	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pender Elementary School)	90	58	32%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Pender Public Schools)	90	58	32%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pender Elementary School)	87	90	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Pender Public Schools)	87	90	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pender Elementary School)	77	76	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Pender Public Schools)	77	76	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	48	56	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pender Elementary School)	95	83	12%
5th Grade Mathematics (Pender Public Schools)	95	83	12%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	54	65	11%
5th Grade Science (Pender Elementary School)	81	87	6%
5th Grade Science (Pender Public Schools)	81	87	6%
5th Grade Science (Nebraska)	68	76	8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pender Elementary School)	65	84	19%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Pender Public Schools)	65	84	19%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	49	55	6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Pender Elementary School)	88	81	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Pender Public Schools)	88	81	7%
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	254	261	2.8%
African American	2	1	50%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	12	25	108.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	233	220	5.6%
Two or More Races	4	9	125%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.7%	43.3%	2.4%

Schools Near Pender Elementary School

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
Pender Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	609 Whitney St	Pender	68047	Thurston County	Pender Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 385-3244	239	20	11.6	47.3%	199 (83.3%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (9.6%)	1 (0.4%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.8%)	79.2	77^th of 428 public elementary schools	82.0%		85.4	43^rd of 459 public elementary schools	90.6%	34	$19,238	$1,447	$15,784
Bancroft-Rosalie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	708 Main St	Bancroft	68004	Cuming County	Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 648-3336	169	15	11.1		101 (59.8%)	2 (1.2%)	7 (4.1%)	2 (1.2%)	52 (30.8%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.4%)	61.7	184^th of 428 public elementary schools	57.0%		40.6	298^th of 459 public elementary schools	35.1%	114	$22,954	$4,639	$15,537
Walthill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	602 Main St	Walthill	68067	Thurston County	Walthill Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 846-5432	168	18	9.2		6 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	152 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.2%)								(n/a)	$33,440	$4,382	$25,105
Emerson-Hubbard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	109 W Third St	Emerson	68733	Dakota County	Emerson-Hubbard Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 695-2654	101	11	9.3	14.9%	71 (70.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (14.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (14.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	$21,877	$1,206	$18,651
Wakefield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	802 Highland	Wakefield	68784	Dixon County	Wakefield Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 287-9892	353	29	12.3	60.3%	136 (38.5%)	1 (0.3%)	214 (60.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	21.1	354^th of 428 public elementary schools	17.3%		38.8	306^th of 459 public elementary schools	33.3%	48	$16,683	$1,406	$13,365
Wisner-Pilger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	801 18th St	Wisner	68791	Cuming County	Wisner-Pilger Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 529-6465	272	21	12.7	49.3%	210 (77.2%)	3 (1.1%)	46 (16.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	69.9	127^th of 428 public elementary schools	70.3%		70.2	132^nd of 459 public elementary schools	71.2%	5	$20,504	$989	$17,370
Winnebago Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	202 Osborne St	Winnebago	68071	Thurston County	Winnebago Public Schools District 17	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 878-2224	451	44	10.3		1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	430 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	5.6	413^th of 428 public elementary schools	3.5%		7.4	431^st of 459 public elementary schools	6.1%	18	$28,645	$3,927	$21,550
Northeast Elementary At Lyons	Public	PK, KG-6	400 S 5th St	Lyons	68038	Burt County	Lyons-Decatur Northeast Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 687-2363	160	16	9.9	44.4%	137 (85.6%)	1 (0.6%)	7 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	58.4	213^th of 428 public elementary schools	50.2%		55.1	214^th of 459 public elementary schools	53.4%	1	$23,034	$2,504	$17,960
Wayne Early Learning Center	Public	PK	803 Providence Rd Sunnyview Pl	Wayne	68787	Wayne County	Wayne Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 833-1450	52	1	52.0	34.6%	37 (71.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (19.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)								(n/a)
Wayne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	312 Douglas Street	Wayne	68787	Wayne County	Wayne Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 375-3854	477	32	15.0	39.4%	373 (78.2%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (17.6%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	4 (0.8%)	11 (2.3%)	76.4	92^nd of 428 public elementary schools	78.5%		66.2	154^th of 459 public elementary schools	66.4%	62	$13,188	$365	$11,120

Pender Elementary School

Pender Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Pender Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Pender Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Pender Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pender Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Pender Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Pender Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Pender Elementary School

Enrollment information for Pender Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pender Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Pender Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pender Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Pender Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Pender Elementary School