South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District

30671 Hwy 14
Fairfield, NE 68938-2757
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 2 public high schools serving 185 students in South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Nebraska.
Public High Schools in South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the Nebraska public high school average of 50%), and reading proficiency score of 30% (versus the 47% statewide average).
Public High School in South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District have a Graduation Rate of 80%, which is less than the Nebraska average of 84%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Lawrence/nelson High School, with ≥80% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Nebraska or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 15% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Nebraska public high school average of 36% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (NE)
# Schools
6 Schools
339 Schools
# Students
733 Students
106,970 Students
# Teachers
66 Teachers
8,163 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 245 school districts in Nebraska (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NE)
#166 out of 246 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
67%
58%
40%
47%
55-59%
62%
(21-22)
≥90%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.32
0.54
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
3%
% Hispanic
16%
22%
% Black
1%
6%
% White
81%
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,093 is higher than the state median of $15,464. The school district revenue/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $19,558 is higher than the state median of $16,776. The school district spending/student has declined by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (NE)
Total Revenue
$16 MM
$5,080 MM
Spending
$14 MM
$5,511 MM
Revenue / Student
$21,093
$15,464
Spending / Student
$19,558
$16,776

Best South Central Nebraska Unified 5 School District Public High Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #1 - 21. - 2.
Lawrence/nelson High School
(Math: 40-59% | Reading: 21-39%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
850 S Nevada
Nelson, NE 68961
(402) 225-3371
Gr: 9-12 | 68 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 6%
Rank: #1 - 21. - 2.
Sandy Creek High School
(Math: 40-59% | Reading: 21-39%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
30671 Hwy 14
Fairfield, NE 68938
(402) 726-2151
Gr: 9-12 | 117 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 21%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 6 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 733 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 19%
  • : ≥90% (Btm 50% in NE)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 67% (Top 50%)
  • : 40% (Btm 50%)
  • : 55-59% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NE Dept. of Education

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