Grand Island 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.

Grand Island, Nebraska - 19 schools

An equity score of 43/100 ranks Grand Island Public Schools #120 of 200 districts in Nebraska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,377 per pupil, Grand Island Public Schools ranks #203 of 244 Nebraska districts by per-pupil spending (Nebraska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

9,990
Total Enrollment
19
Schools
$13,377
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Grand Island Public Schools operates 19 public schools serving 9,990 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Nebraska. The school portfolio breaks down into 15 combined, 3 middle, 1 high 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 Hall County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,377 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 244 Nebraska districts by per-pupil spending. See how Nebraska compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.1% local, 48.4% state, and 16.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 43/100, ranked #120 of 200 in Nebraska against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 19 schools offering Advanced Placement (19 AP courses district-wide), a 439.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.4% Hispanic or Latino, 31.9% White, 4.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Newell Elementary School, with a diversity index of 63.3/100.

Its largest campus is Grand Island Senior High School, enrolling 2,696 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Seedling Mile Elem School, at 87 students, a 31x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Grand Island Senior High School accounts for 27.0% of all Grand Island Public Schools student enrollment

That concentration means Grand Island Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Grand Island Public Schools school enrollment varies 31× across entities

Grand Island Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 87 students (lowest) to 2,696 students (highest), a spread of 2,609 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Grand Island Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 439:1 — 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

Grand Island Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 18.1% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Grand Island Public Schools is typically wider than the Grand Island Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

16.5%
Federal
48.4%
State
35.1%
Local

Funding Equity

43
Equity Score
120 / 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 19 schools in Grand Island Public Schools.

White 31.9%
Hispanic or Latino 59.4%
African American 4.8%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 2.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 48.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Grand Island Public Schools's schools, above the Nebraska average of 34.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Newell Elementary School 63.3
  2. 2 Seedling Mile Elem School 60.9
  3. 3 Shoemaker Elementary School 60.0
  4. 4 Gates Elementary School 58.3
  5. 5 Westridge Middle School 57.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 19
Schools with AP
19 AP courses total
439.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Grand Island Public Schools

School Enrollment
Grand Island Senior High School
2,696
Walnut Middle School
777
Westridge Middle School
694
Barr Middle School
648
Howard Elementary School
484
Starr Elementary School
453
Engleman Elementary School
448
Shoemaker Elementary School
438
Dodge Elementary School
436
Wasmer Elementary School
373
Jefferson Elementary School
352
Newell Elementary School
348
West Lawn Elementary School
338
Lincoln Elementary School
328
Gates Elementary School
284
Early Learning Center
278
Knickrehm Elementary School
263
Stolley Park Elem School
258
Seedling Mile Elem School
87

How Grand Island Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Nebraska districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bellevue Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Elkhorn Public Schools Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Papillion La Vista Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Gretna Public Schools Smaller Lower spending More locally funded
Westside Community Schools Smaller Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Grand Island 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 Grand Island Public Schools →
Lincoln Public Schools
41,850 students · 76 schools · $12,831/pupil
Compare vs Grand Island Public Schools →
Millard Public Schools
23,637 students · 36 schools · $11,075/pupil
Compare vs Grand Island Public Schools →
Elkhorn Public Schools
11,319 students · 20 schools · $11,003/pupil
Compare vs Grand Island Public Schools →

Compare Grand Island 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 Grand Island Public Schools?

Grand Island Public Schools has 19 schools, including 1 high, 3 middle, 15 combined. Total enrollment is 9,990 students.

How much does Grand Island Public Schools spend per student?

Grand Island Public Schools spends $13,377 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #120 in Nebraska.

What is the demographic composition of Grand Island Public Schools?

Grand Island Public Schools students are 59.4% Hispanic or Latino, 31.9% White, 4.8% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Grand Island Public Schools?

Grand Island Public Schools has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #120 out of 200 districts in Nebraska.