Kearney Public Schools
Public school district · Buffalo County · Nebraska · NCES district ID 3172390
Kearney Public Schools spent $11,473 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 95% of the other Nebraska districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,425). Its 14 schools enrolled 6,064 students in 2024-25; 23.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,037 per student, up 13.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 94% (Nebraska: 87.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Nebraska's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Kearney Public Schools ranks 9.
Where the money came from
$86,018,000 in revenue: 23.5% state, 68.1% local and 8.4% federal. Total spending including $5,489,000 of capital outlay was $78,601,000, or $12,776 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$20,249,000 24%
- Local$58,561,000 68%
- Federal$7,208,000 8%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 43 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
6,152 students in 2022-23, 6,064 students in 2023-24, 6,064 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 6,152 | 374.7 | 16.4 |
| 2023-24 | 6,064 | 380.3 | 15.9 |
| 2024-25 | 6,064 | 384.8 | 15.8 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$29,432,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,784 per student
Kearney Public Schools booked $29,432,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 381 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $77,304 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 96 in 100 Nebraska districts with a figure (state median $61,845, 215 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Nebraska teacher salary at $57,420 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $20,804,000 | 70.7% |
| Special education | $4,204,000 | 14.3% |
| Vocational | $3,000 | 0.0% |
| Other programs | $4,421,000 | 15.0% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,288 in 2018-19, $4,180 in 2019-20, $4,425 in 2020-21, $4,581 in 2021-22, $4,784 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Kearney Public Schools scored proficient or above: 56% in reading and 58% in math, against 47.1% in reading and 46% in math across Nebraska. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Nebraska, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Nebraska | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 56% | 47.1% | 2,912 |
| Math | 58% | 46% | 2,910 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
94% of the 376 students in Kearney Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Nebraska. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Nebraska | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 94% | 87.3% |
| Students in the class | 376 | 24,336 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
10 elementary schools, 2,885 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadowlark Elementary School | 417 | 17.8 | 10.1% | Not Title I |
| Kenwood Elementary School | 398 | 15.5 | 23.6% | Not Title I |
| Northeast Elementary School | 397 | 13.3 | 33.0% | Targeted program |
| Central Elementary School | 284 | 14.5 | 45.8% | Targeted program |
| Buffalo Hills Elementary | 272 | 16.6 | 15.1% | Not Title I |
| Windy Hills Elementary School | 259 | 17.2 | 11.6% | Not Title I |
| Park Elementary School | 257 | 16.8 | 20.6% | Not Title I |
| Bryant Elementary School | 248 | 12.9 | 47.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Emerson Elementary School | 235 | 13.0 | 49.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Glenwood Elementary School | 118 | 14.7 | 7.6% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 middle schools, 1,184 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Middle School | 648 | 15.0 | 22.7% | Not Title I |
| Sunrise Middle School | 536 | 12.1 | 31.3% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 1,663 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney High School | 1,663 | 18.2 | 22.4% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 other school, 332 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney Education Center | 332 | 21.5 | 25.0% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Kearney Public Schools
- Phone: (308) 698-8000
- Office: 320 W 24th St, Kearney, NE 68845
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Kearney Public Schools
- Nebraska districts by spending per studentKearney Public Schools ranks 41 of 43 Nebraska districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,473).#41 of 43
- Every school district in NebraskaKearney Public Schools is the number 10 by size of 251 Nebraska districts, with 6,152 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#10 of 251
- Westside Community SchoolsThe next larger Nebraska district: 6,271 students in fall 2022, $15,352 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,352
- Fremont Public SchoolsThe next smaller Nebraska district: 5,217 students in fall 2022, $12,811 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,811
- Compare Kearney Public Schools with Westside Community SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Kearney High School, its largest high school1,663 students in 2024-25, 18.2 per teacher.1,663
- Teacher salary spending across NebraskaKearney Public Schools spent $77,304 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $61,845); spending, not a salary.$77,304
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Kearney Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Kearney Public Schools?
14 schools were open in 2024-25 (10 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high, 1 other), enrolling 6,064 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Kearney Public Schools spend per student?
$11,473 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Nebraska median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,425 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,037 per student, up 13.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Kearney Public Schools' money come from?
$86,018,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 23.5% state, 68.1% local and 8.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Kearney Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 516 of the 6,347 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Kearney Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$29,432,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,784 per student. Divided by the 381 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $77,304 per teacher, more than 96 in 100 Nebraska districts (state median $61,845). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Nebraska teacher salary at $57,420 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Kearney Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Kearney Public Schools scored proficient or above: 56% in reading and 58% in math, against 47.1% in reading and 46% in math across Nebraska. Nebraska's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Kearney Public Schools?
94% of the 376 students in Kearney Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Nebraska. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Kearney Public Schools' NCES district ID?
3172390. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25