Is Karen Western Elementary School a good school?

Karen Western Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.2% of Nebraska elementary schools.

How many students attend Karen Western Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 213 students attended Karen Western Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Karen Western Elementary School?

Students at Karen Western Elementary School are 58% Hispanic, 31% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American.

What schools do graduates of Karen Western Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Karen Western Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Ralston Middle School High : Ralston High School

Karen Western Elementary School

Summary:

Karen Western Elementary School is a public elementary school in Omaha, Nebraska, serving 211 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Ralston Public Schools district, which is ranked 159 out of 182 districts in the state.

Academically, Karen Western Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Nebraska elementary schools, with below-average performance on state assessments. In 2023-2024, only 37% of 3rd graders and 50% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 48.98% and 45.53% for the Ralston district, and 58.91% and 57.43% for the state. The school's math proficiency rates are also below district and state averages. Nearby Seymour Elementary and Westgate Elementary schools outperform Karen Western in academic achievement.

Karen Western Elementary School faces other challenges as well, including high rates of chronic absenteeism and a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The school's spending per student is relatively high, ranging from $14,974 to $16,483 over the past few years. While the school's performance has declined in recent years, the Omaha Public Schools' Wilson Focus School stands out as a high-performing elementary school in the area.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

6224 H St
Omaha, NE 68117-1145

(402) 731-7477

District: Ralston Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
363^rd of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,483

Students who attend Karen Western Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ralston Middle School
High:	Ralston High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.3

Number of students: 213

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.2%

White:

31.5%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 99%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Karen Western Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Karen Western Elementary School ranks worse than 84.8% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks 5^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Ralston Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.97. (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 Karen Western Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Ralston Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (58.2%), White (31.5%), two or more races (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Karen Western Elementary School is 10.3, which is the lowest among 6 elementary schools in the Ralston Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Karen Western Elementary School employs 20.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Karen Western Elementary School is $16,483, which is the highest among 6 elementary schools in the Ralston Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Karen Western Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Ralston Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Ralston Public Schools 159^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Karen Western Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Karen Western Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	28.40	342^nd	418	18.2%
2007	19.24	391^st	430	9.1%
2008	61.96	195^th	478	59.2%
2009	48.28	317^th	471	32.7%
2010	29.66	435^th	502	13.3%
2011	16.47	430^th	473	9.1%
2012	36.04	344^th	480	28.3%
2013	31.36	373^rd	485	23.1%
2014	37.92	328^th	483	32.1%
2015	33.34	366^th	488	25.0%
2016	40.46	315^th	480	34.4%
2017	36.21	319^th	459	30.5%
2018	47.63	242^nd	450	46.2%
2019	15.10	403^rd	452	10.8%
2021	31.09	332^nd	442	24.9%
2022	7.33	429^th	457	6.1%
2023	17.14	397^th	459	13.5%
2024	18.97	363^rd	428	15.2%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Karen Western Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	61.23	106^th	281	62.3%
2021	56.36	112^th	264	57.6%
2023	39.31	210^th	312	32.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Karen Western Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	34.70	219^th	318	31.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Karen Western Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	19.59	308^th	366	15.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Karen Western Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	75.87	10^th	68	85.3%
2023	44.70	61^st	108	43.5%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Karen Western lacks competency.
Inconsistencies throughout the year-with spelling, grammar, mathematics. There seems to be a lack of communication between the schools staff as well. If you want your child to get a good education and not have these gov’t educators try to “dumb down” your child...DO NOT SEND THEM TO KAREN WESTERN. The staff talks down to parents and does not work with families morals, ethics, etc. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Karen Western Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	196	0	0	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	209
1989	215	1	5	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	238
1990	199	2	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	214
1991	222	3	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	238
1992	233	4	0	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	244
1993	208	2	2	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	225
1994	187	3	1	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	207
1995	185	0	2	13	6	n/a	n/a	0	206
1996	185	0	2	13	6	n/a	n/a	0	206
1997	187	4	2	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	210
1998	190	1	3	13	4	n/a	n/a	0	211
1999	168	4	2	6	4	n/a	n/a	5	189
2000	164	6	3	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	190
2001	161	7	2	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	198
2002	167	5	1	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	208
2003	167	5	1	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	208
2004	148	7	4	37	6	n/a	n/a	0	202
2005	149	10	1	26	2	n/a	n/a	0	188
2006	136	9	4	26	2	n/a	n/a	0	177
2007	113	9	2	41	3	n/a	n/a	0	168
2008	112	13	4	35	3	n/a	n/a	0	167
2009	130	10	4	36	3	n/a	n/a	0	183
2010	122	25	3	50	5	n/a	n/a	0	205
2011	107	10	2	49	7	0	3	0	178
2012	95	2	0	38	6	1	4	0	146
2013	84	8	0	45	5	2	6	0	150
2014	73	6	1	50	1	2	8	0	141
2015	64	6	2	62	0	2	12	0	148
2016	71	4	1	82	0	3	14	0	175
2017	65	3	0	101	0	0	19	0	188
2018	58	4	1	104	1	1	18	0	187
2019	62	4	0	107	0	0	9	0	182
2020	65	8	0	106	0	0	9	0	188
2021	72	5	1	108	1	0	12	0	199
2022	70	7	0	109	2	0	14	0	202
2023	71	7	0	116	2	0	15	0	211
2024	67	8	1	124	2	0	11	0	213

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 Karen Western Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	209	15.8	13.2	5.7
1989	238	16.3	14.6	6.3
1990	214	15.6	13.7	7
1991	238	17.1	13.9	8.4
1992	244	16.2	15.0	9.4
1993	225	15.9	14.2	9.8
1994	207	16.0	12.9	9.7
1995	206	16.0	12.9	28.2
1996	206	16.0	12.9	28.2
1997	210	15.8	13.3	35.7
1998	211	15.5	13.6	32.7
1999	189	14.7	12.9	44.6
2000	190	15.5	12.3	46.3
2001	198	15.5	12.8	54
2002	208	14.5	14.3	60.6
2003	208	14.5	14.3	60.6
2004	202	13.4	15.1	55
2005	188	14.6	12.9	55.3
2006	177	13.5	13.1	57.1
2007	168	12.5	13.4	60.7
2008	167	12.4	13.5	61.7
2009	183	12.5	14.6	56.8
2010	205	11.1	18.4	61.5
2011	178	13.3	13.3	63.5
2012	146	10.4	13.9	61.6
2013	150	10.0	14.9	71.3
2014	141	14.6	9.6	73
2015	148	14.0	10.5	77.7
2016	175	16.0	10.9	83.4
2017	188	17.9	10.4	74.5
2018	187	19.7	9.4	73.8
2019	182	16.7	10.8	69.2
2020	188	19.5	9.6	71.8
2021	199	18.2	10.8	99
2022	202	18.6	10.8	99
2023	211	20.0	10.5	n/a
2024	213	20.5	10.3	n/a

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 Karen Western Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	209	15.8	13.2	5.7
1989	238	16.3	14.6	6.3
1990	214	15.6	13.7	7
1991	238	17.1	13.9	8.4
1992	244	16.2	15.0	9.4
1993	225	15.9	14.2	9.8
1994	207	16.0	12.9	9.7
1995	206	16.0	12.9	28.2
1996	206	16.0	12.9	28.2
1997	210	15.8	13.3	35.7
1998	211	15.5	13.6	32.7
1999	189	14.7	12.9	44.6
2000	190	15.5	12.3	46.3
2001	198	15.5	12.8	54
2002	208	14.5	14.3	60.6
2003	208	14.5	14.3	60.6
2004	202	13.4	15.1	55
2005	188	14.6	12.9	55.3
2006	177	13.5	13.1	57.1
2007	168	12.5	13.4	60.7
2008	167	12.4	13.5	61.7
2009	183	12.5	14.6	56.8
2010	205	11.1	18.4	61.5
2011	178	13.3	13.3	63.5
2012	146	10.4	13.9	61.6
2013	150	10.0	14.9	71.3
2014	141	14.6	9.6	73
2015	148	14.0	10.5	77.7
2016	175	16.0	10.9	83.4
2017	188	17.9	10.4	74.5
2018	187	19.7	9.4	73.8
2019	182	16.7	10.8	69.2
2020	188	19.5	9.6	71.8
2021	199	18.2	10.8	99
2022	202	18.6	10.8	99
2023	211	20.0	10.5	n/a
2024	213	20.5	10.3	n/a

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 Karen Western Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,424 (9.7%)	$11,750 (79.9%)	$14,713
2020	$1,144 (7.6%)	$12,262 (81.9%)	$14,974
2021	$1,350 (8.4%)	$13,258 (82.7%)	$16,034
2022	$1,499 (9.9%)	$12,232 (80.5%)	$15,199
2023	$1,791 (10.9%)	$13,318 (80.8%)	$16,483

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Karen Western 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 403^rd of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 397^th of 459 Elementary schools	2.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Karen Western Elementary School)	21	21
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ralston Public Schools)	43	31	12%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	50	6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Karen Western Elementary School)	31	33	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ralston Public Schools)	45	41	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Karen Western Elementary School)	31	25	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ralston Public Schools)	45	51	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Karen Western Elementary School)	39	30	9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ralston Public Schools)	40	61	21%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	54	65	11%
5th Grade Science (Karen Western Elementary School)	39	43	4%
5th Grade Science (Ralston Public Schools)	54	64	10%
5th Grade Science (Nebraska)	68	76	8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Karen Western Elementary School)	48	65	17%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ralston Public Schools)	49	63	14%
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	182	211	15.9%
African American	4	7	75%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	107	116	8.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	62	71	14.5%
Two or More Races	9	15	66.7%

Schools Near Karen Western 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
Karen Western Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6224 H St	Omaha	68117	Douglas County	Ralston Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 731-7477	213	21	10.3		67 (31.5%)	8 (3.8%)	124 (58.2%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.2%)	19	363^rd of 428 public elementary schools	15.2%		17.1	397^th of 459 public elementary schools	13.5%	34	$16,483	$1,791	$13,318
Belle Ryan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1807 S 60th St	Omaha	68117	Douglas County	Omaha Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(531) 299-1080	288	22	13.1		103 (35.8%)	53 (18.4%)	94 (32.6%)	14 (4.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.6%)	33.8	317^th of 428 public elementary schools	25.9%		24.5	371^st of 459 public elementary schools	19.2%	54	$19,533	$2,342	$15,295
Wilson Focus School	Public	3-6	5141 F Street	Omaha	68117	Douglas County	Omaha Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(531) 299-2260	205	16	12.9		68 (33.2%)	64 (31.2%)	44 (21.5%)	6 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	22 (10.7%)	70.4	124^th of 428 public elementary schools	71.0%		73.5	111^th of 459 public elementary schools	75.8%	13	$19,238	$2,217	$15,599
Ashland Park/Robbins Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5050 S 51st St	Omaha	68117	Douglas County	Omaha Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(531) 299-1020	709	40	17.6		101 (14.2%)	31 (4.4%)	546 (77.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.5%)	19.6	359^th of 428 public elementary schools	16.1%		10.2	428^th of 459 public elementary schools	6.8%	69	$17,638	$2,375	$13,708
Seymour Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4900 S 79th St	Ralston	68127	Douglas County	Ralston Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 331-0540	291	20	14.5	53.6%	153 (52.6%)	19 (6.5%)	97 (33.3%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.2%)	64.6	159^th of 428 public elementary schools	62.9%		58.4	194^th of 459 public elementary schools	57.7%	35	$13,062	$1,734	$10,536
Westgate Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7802 Hascall	Omaha	68124	Douglas County	Westside Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 390-6495	304	22	13.6		155 (51.0%)	58 (19.1%)	54 (17.8%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (10.2%)	28.8	329^th of 428 public elementary schools	23.1%		40.7	295^th of 459 public elementary schools	35.7%	34	$17,056	$987	$14,513
Gateway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5610 South 42nd Street	Omaha	68107	Douglas County	Omaha Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(531) 299-1480	758	45	16.7		80 (10.6%)	24 (3.2%)	623 (82.2%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (3.4%)	7	408^th of 428 public elementary schools	4.7%		4.2	443^rd of 459 public elementary schools	3.5%	35	$15,744	$2,405	$12,273
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4065 Vinton St	Omaha	68105	Douglas County	Omaha Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(531) 299-1640	463	29	15.8		77 (16.6%)	28 (6.0%)	336 (72.6%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.9%)	18.4	365^th of 428 public elementary schools	14.7%		16.4	400^th of 459 public elementary schools	12.9%	35	$18,042	$2,442	$14,625
Early Childhood Center At Gateway	Public	PK	5810 S 42nd Street	Omaha	68107	Douglas County	Omaha Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(531) 299-1499	72	10	7.1		11 (15.3%)	6 (8.3%)	51 (70.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.2%)								(n/a)
Wildewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	8071 Ralston Ave	Ralston	68127	Douglas County	Ralston Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 331-6475	302	21	14.4	64.2%	151 (50.0%)	18 (6.0%)	105 (34.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.6%)	28.7	330^th of 428 public elementary schools	22.9%		35.9	328^th of 459 public elementary schools	28.5%	2	$13,648	$1,706	$11,032

Karen Western Elementary School

Ralston Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Karen Western Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Karen Western Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Karen Western Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Karen Western Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Karen Western Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Karen Western Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Karen Western Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Karen Western Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Karen Western Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Karen Western Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Karen Western Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Karen Western Elementary School