Alma Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Alma, Nebraska - 2 schools

An equity score of 66/100 ranks Alma Public Schools #42 of 200 districts in Nebraska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,003 per pupil, Alma Public Schools ranks #116 of 244 Nebraska districts by per-pupil spending (Nebraska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

359
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$17,003
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Alma Public Schools operates 2 public schools serving 359 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Nebraska. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Harlan County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,003 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 244 Nebraska districts by per-pupil spending. See how Nebraska compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 58.0% local, 34.6% state, and 7.4% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 66/100, ranked #42 of 200 in Nebraska against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 424.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 5.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.2% White, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Alma Elementary at Alma, enrolling 192 students (50% of the district's total enrollment).

Alma Elementary at Alma accounts for 50.3% of all Alma Public Schools student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Alma Public Schools a distant remainder — means Alma Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Alma Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 424:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Alma Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 5.5% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

7.4%
Federal
34.6%
State
58.0%
Local

Funding Equity

66
Equity Score
42 / 200
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Alma Public Schools.

White 93.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 2.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

424.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
5.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Alma Public Schools

School Enrollment
Alma Elementary at Alma
192
Alma High School
190

How Alma Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Nebraska districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Crofton Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Johnson-Brock Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Heartland Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cross County Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Neligh-Oakdale Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Alma Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Nebraska

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Omaha Public Schools
51,754 students · 111 schools · $14,202/pupil
Compare vs Alma Public Schools →
Lincoln Public Schools
41,850 students · 76 schools · $12,831/pupil
Compare vs Alma Public Schools →
Millard Public Schools
23,637 students · 36 schools · $11,075/pupil
Compare vs Alma Public Schools →
Papillion La Vista Community Schools
12,031 students · 22 schools · $11,412/pupil
Compare vs Alma Public Schools →
Elkhorn Public Schools
11,319 students · 20 schools · $11,003/pupil
Compare vs Alma Public Schools →

Compare Alma Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Omaha Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Alma Public Schools?

Alma Public Schools has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 359 students.

How much does Alma Public Schools spend per student?

Alma Public Schools spends $17,003 per student. The district has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #42 in Nebraska.

What is the demographic composition of Alma Public Schools?

Alma Public Schools students are 93.2% White, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Alma Public Schools?

Alma Public Schools has an equity score of 66/100, ranking #42 out of 200 districts in Nebraska.