Southwest Public Schools

Public school district · Red Willow County · Nebraska · NCES district ID 3100178

Southwest Public Schools spent $20,452 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 70% of the other Nebraska districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $18,474). Its 2 schools enrolled 255 students in 2024-25; 12.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,883 per student, up 2.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80% or more (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 districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Southwest Public Schools in enrollment (288 to 301 students) and Southwest Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Nebraska districts closest in size to Southwest Public Schools, FY23Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer $26,157; East Butler Public Schools $25,909; Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs $21,941; Southwest Public Schools $20,452; Fullerton Public Schools $18,679; Creighton Community Public Schools $18,641; Franklin Public Schools $18,379; Cambridge Public Schools $17,785; Burwell Public Schools $17,628; Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools $17,060; State median, under 1,000 students $18,474.15k20k25k30kHumboldt Table Rock Steinauer$26,157East Butler Public Schools$25,909Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs$21,941Southwest Public Schools$20,452Fullerton Public Schools$18,679Creighton Community Public Sch…$18,641Franklin Public Schools$18,379Cambridge Public Schools$17,785Burwell Public Schools$17,628Howells-Dodge Consolidated Sch…$17,060State median, under 1,000 students $18,474
Current spending per student, Nebraska districts closest in size to Southwest Public Schools, FY23Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer $26,157; East Butler Public Schools $25,909; Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs $21,941; Southwest Public Schools $20,452; Fullerton Public Schools $18,679; Creighton Community Public Schools $18,641; Franklin Public Schools $18,379; Cambridge Public Schools $17,785; Burwell Public Schools $17,628; Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools $17,060; State median, under 1,000 students $18,474.15k20k25k30kHumboldt Table Rock Steinauer$26,157East Butler Public Schools$25,909Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs$21,941Southwest Public Schools$20,452Fullerton Public Schools$18,679Creighton Community Public Schools$18,641Franklin Public Schools$18,379Cambridge Public Schools$17,785Burwell Public Schools$17,628Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools$17,060State median, under 1,000 students $18,474
Current spending per student, Nebraska districts closest in size to Southwest Public Schools, FY23Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer $26,157; East Butler Public Schools $25,909; Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs $21,941; Southwest Public Schools $20,452; Fullerton Public Schools $18,679; Creighton Community Public Schools $18,641; Franklin Public Schools $18,379; Cambridge Public Schools $17,785; Burwell Public Schools $17,628; Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools $17,060; State median, under 1,000 students $18,474.15k20k25k30kHumboldt Table Rock Steinauer$26,157East Butler Public Schools$25,909Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs$21,941Southwest Public Schools$20,452Fullerton Public Schools$18,679Creighton Community Public Schools$18,641Franklin Public Schools$18,379Cambridge Public Schools$17,785Burwell Public Schools$17,628Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools$17,060State median, under 1,000 students $18,474
Current spending per student, Nebraska districts closest in size to Southwest Public Schools, FY23Humboldt Table Rock Steinauer $26,157; East Butler Public Schools $25,909; Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs $21,941; Southwest Public Schools $20,452; Fullerton Public Schools $18,679; Creighton Community Public Schools $18,641; Franklin Public Schools $18,379; Cambridge Public Schools $17,785; Burwell Public Schools $17,628; Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools $17,060; State median, under 1,000 students $18,474.15k20k25k30kHumboldt Table Rock Steinauer$26,157East Butler Public Schools$25,909Dundy Co Stratton Public Schs$21,941Southwest Public Schools$20,452Fullerton Public Schools$18,679Creighton Community Public Schools$18,641Franklin Public Schools$18,379Cambridge Public Schools$17,785Burwell Public Schools$17,628Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools$17,060State median, under 1,000 students $18,474

Where the money came from

$6,308,000 in revenue: 12.8% state, 81.0% local and 6.2% federal. Total spending including $89,000 of capital outlay was $6,428,000, or $21,864 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Southwest Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $808,000; Local $5,111,000; Federal $389,000; total $6,308,000.
  • State$808,000 13%
  • Local$5,111,000 81%
  • Federal$389,000 6%

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 201 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

294 students in 2022-23, 315 students in 2023-24, 255 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Southwest Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 294, 2023-24: 315, 2024-25: 25501002003004002022-232942023-243152024-25255
Southwest Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 294, 2023-24: 315, 2024-25: 25501002003004002022-232942023-243152024-25255
Southwest Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 294, 2023-24: 315, 2024-25: 25501002003004002022-232942023-243152024-25255
Southwest Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 294, 2023-24: 315, 2024-25: 25501002003004002022-232942023-243152024-25255

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2329435.08.4
2023-2431534.09.3
2024-2525529.48.7

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$1,835,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,241 per student

Southwest Public Schools booked $1,835,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 35 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 $52,504 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 3 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$1,541,00084.0%
Special education$94,0005.1%
Other programs$200,00010.9%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,281 in 2018-19, $5,869 in 2019-20, $5,878 in 2020-21, $6,007 in 2021-22, $6,241 in 2022-23.

Southwest Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,281, 2019-20: $5,869, 2020-21: $5,878, 2021-22: $6,007, 2022-23: $6,24102k4k6k8k2018-19$5,2812019-20$5,8692020-21$5,8782021-22$6,0072022-23$6,241
Southwest Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,281, 2019-20: $5,869, 2020-21: $5,878, 2021-22: $6,007, 2022-23: $6,24102k4k6k8k2018-19$5,2812019-20$5,8692020-21$5,8782021-22$6,0072022-23$6,241
Southwest Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,281, 2019-20: $5,869, 2020-21: $5,878, 2021-22: $6,007, 2022-23: $6,24102k4k6k8k2018-19$5,2812019-20$5,8692020-21$5,8782021-22$6,0072022-23$6,241
Southwest Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,281, 2019-20: $5,869, 2020-21: $5,878, 2021-22: $6,007, 2022-23: $6,24102k4k6k8k2018-19$5,2812019-20$5,8692020-21$5,8782021-22$6,0072022-23$6,241

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 Southwest Public Schools scored proficient or above: 40-44% in reading and 30-34% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtNebraskaStudents tested
Reading and language arts40-44%47.1%135
Math30-34%46%135

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

80% or more of the 25 students in Southwest 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtNebraska
Four-year graduation rate80% or more87.3%
Students in the class2524,336

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.

1 elementary school, 172 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Southwest Elementary-Indianola1729.432.6%Schoolwide program

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, 83 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Southwest Jr/Sr High School837.437.3%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.

Contact Southwest Public Schools

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 Southwest Public Schools

  1. Nebraska districts by spending per studentSouthwest Public Schools ranks 62 of 201 Nebraska districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($20,452).#62 of 201
  2. Every school district in NebraskaSouthwest Public Schools is the number 150 by size of 251 Nebraska districts, with 294 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#150 of 251
  3. East Butler Public SchoolsThe next larger Nebraska district: 297 students in fall 2022, $25,909 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$25,909
  4. Burwell Public SchoolsThe next smaller Nebraska district: 293 students in fall 2022, $17,628 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,628
  5. Compare Southwest Public Schools with East Butler Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Southwest Jr/Sr High School, its largest high school83 students in 2024-25, 7.4 per teacher.83
  7. Teacher salary spending across NebraskaSouthwest Public Schools spent $52,504 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $61,845); spending, not a salary.$52,504
  8. 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 Southwest Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Southwest Public Schools?
    2 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 255 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Southwest Public Schools spend per student?
    $20,452 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 fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,474 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $20,883 per student, up 2.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Southwest Public Schools' money come from?
    $6,308,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 12.8% state, 81.0% local and 6.2% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Southwest Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 45 of the 319 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 14.1%, 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.
  5. How much does Southwest Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $1,835,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,241 per student. Divided by the 35 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $52,504 per teacher, more than 3 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).
  6. How do students in Southwest Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Southwest Public Schools scored proficient or above: 40-44% in reading and 30-34% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Southwest Public Schools?
    80% or more of the 25 students in Southwest 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.
  8. What is Southwest Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    3100178. 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

Compiled from official source data by .