Kearney School District

320 W 24th St
Kearney, NE 68845-5331
(District boundaries shown in map)
8/
10
Top 30%

Top Rankings

Kearney School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Nebraska for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 10%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 11 public preschools serving 3,236 students in Kearney School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public pre schools in Nebraska.
Public Preschools in Kearney School District have an average math proficiency score of 62% (versus the Nebraska public pre school average of 49%), and reading proficiency score of 61% (versus the 50% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 23% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Nebraska public preschool average of 38% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NE)
# Schools
15 Schools
608 Schools
# Students
6,064 Students
159,116 Students
# Teachers
387 Teachers
11,545 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Kearney School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 245 school districts in Nebraska (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 93% has increased from 91% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NE)
#68 out of 246 school districts
(Top 30%)
58%
46%
56%
47%
73%
62%
93%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.38
0.57
% American Indian
n/a
2%
% Asian
1%
3%
% Hispanic
17%
22%
% Black
2%
6%
% White
77%
62%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,021 in this school district is less than the state median of $15,464. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,825 is less than the state median of $16,776. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (NE)
Total Revenue
$79 MM
$5,080 MM
Spending
$72 MM
$5,511 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,021
$15,464
Spending / Student
$11,825
$16,776

Best Kearney School District Public Preschools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Meadowlark Elementary School
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 80-84%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
1010 E 53rd St
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8210
Grades: PK-5
| 399 students
Rank: #22.
Windy Hills Elementary School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
4211 20th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8220
Grades: PK-5
| 255 students
Rank: #33.
Park Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
3000 7th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8280
Grades: PK-5
| 275 students
Rank: #44.
Buffalo Hills Elementary School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
6110 11th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8290
Grades: PK-5
| 298 students
Rank: #55.
Glenwood Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
8105 9th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8240
Grades: PK-5
| 126 students
Rank: #66.
Central Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
300 W 24th St
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8040
Grades: PK-5
| 271 students
Rank: #77.
Kenwood Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
915 16th Ave
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8200
Grades: PK-5
| 385 students
Rank: #88.
Northeast Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
910 E 34th St
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8230
Grades: PK-5
| 418 students
Rank: #99.
Bryant Elementary School
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
1611 Ave C
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8190
Grades: PK-5
| 243 students
Rank: #1010.
Emerson Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2705 Ave E
Kearney, NE 68847
(308) 698-8270
Grades: PK-5
| 211 students
Rank: n/an/a
1511 5th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68845
(308) 698-8033
Grades: PK
| 355 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 15 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 6,064 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 23%
  • : 93% (Top 10% in NE)
  • : Top 30%
  • : 58% (Top 30%)
  • : 56% (Top 30%)
  • : 73% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NE Dept. of Education

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