Educational Service Unit 03

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Lavista, Nebraska - 8 schools

129
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
-
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Educational Service Unit 03 operates 8 public schools serving 129 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Nebraska. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Sarpy County.

The funding mix is 53.5% local, 26.9% state, and 19.5% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers.

. Demographically, the student body averages 42.7% African American, 38.3% White, 1.4% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Esu 3 Head Start - Fort Crook, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.

Its largest campus is Esu 3 Head Start - Golden Hills, enrolling 39 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Papillion Lavista Early Childhood Center, at 8 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Esu 3 Head Start - Golden Hills accounts for 28.7% of all Educational Service Unit 03 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Educational Service Unit 03-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Educational Service Unit 03 school enrollment varies 4.9× across entities

Educational Service Unit 03 school enrollment ranges from 8 students (lowest) to 39 students (highest), a spread of 31 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Educational Service Unit 03 reports 84.6% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is at least 75%, indicating a high concentration of measured economic need. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Where does the funding come from?

19.5%
Federal
26.9%
State
53.5%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Educational Service Unit 03.

White 38.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
African American 42.7%
Asian 1.1%
Multiracial 15.7%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 57.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Educational Service Unit 03's schools, above the Nebraska average of 34.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Esu 3 Head Start - Fort Crook 64.8
  2. 2 Esu 3 Head Start - Belleaire 63.2
  3. 3 Esu 3 Head Start - Bellevue West 62.5
  4. 4 Esu 3 Head Start - Early Head Start 62.4
  5. 5 Esu 3 Head Start - Peter Sarpy 59.4

Schools in Educational Service Unit 03

How Educational Service Unit 03 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Nebraska districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Wheeler Central Schools Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Leyton Public Schools Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Arcadia Public Schools Similar size No spending data Similar funding mix
Elba Public Schools Similar size No spending data Similar funding mix
Thedford Public Schools Similar size No spending data More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Educational Service Unit 03'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 · $16,585/pupil
Compare vs Educational Service Unit 03 →
Lincoln Public Schools
41,850 students · 76 schools · $13,573/pupil
Compare vs Educational Service Unit 03 →
Millard Public Schools
23,637 students · 36 schools · $11,579/pupil
Compare vs Educational Service Unit 03 →
Elkhorn Public Schools
11,319 students · 20 schools · $11,437/pupil
Compare vs Educational Service Unit 03 →

Compare Educational Service Unit 03

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 Educational Service Unit 03?

Educational Service Unit 03 has 8 schools, including 8 combined. Total enrollment is 129 students.

What is the demographic composition of Educational Service Unit 03?

Educational Service Unit 03 students are 42.7% African American, 38.3% White, 1.4% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.