Enrollment
325
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lincoln, NE
Brownell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Brownell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317284001140
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brownell Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska schools.
- #25 of 45
- schools in Lincoln · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 57.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Brownell Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Brownell Elementary School ranks #25 of 45 schools in Lincoln, NE.
School address
District: Lincoln Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317284001140 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.6%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+86% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brownell Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brownell Elementary School
Brownell Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lincoln, Nebraska, enrolling 325 students.
At 12.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Nebraska median, within a few percentage points of the 13.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 57.6% of students qualify for free meals, 86% above the Nebraska average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 325 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 68 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #37.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 325 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lincoln Public Schools spends $12,831 per pupil, 27% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lincoln Public Schools also operates Southwest High School (2,110 students) and Lincoln High School (2,086 students) alongside Brownell Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Brownell Elementary School compares
Brownell Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.6% | ▲ 86% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 325 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
325
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 86% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,831
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 325 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 57.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
Two or More 16.6%
African American 7.7%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 57.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.4, Brownell Elementary School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Public Schools, which includes Brownell Elementary School.
$12,831
Per student
-27%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 30.0%
Federal 12.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Brownell Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Star High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Southeast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brownell Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,110
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,086
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,982
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,927
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~325 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brownell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Brownell Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Brownell Elementary School
How many students attend Brownell Elementary School?
Brownell Elementary School has 325 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lincoln, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brownell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Brownell Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Brownell Elementary School?
57.6% of students at Brownell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brownell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Brownell Elementary School is White at 57.8% of enrollment, in Lincoln, NE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brownell Elementary School?
Brownell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Brownell Elementary School rank among schools in Lincoln?
By Resource Investment Index, Brownell Elementary School ranks #25 of 45 schools in Lincoln, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lincoln on the city page.
Is Brownell Elementary School a good school?
Brownell Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Lincoln Public Schools?
Besides Brownell Elementary School, Lincoln Public Schools also operates Southwest High School (2,110 students), Lincoln High School (2,086 students), and Lincoln East High School (1,982 students). See the Lincoln Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.