Enrollment
277
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairbury, NE
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317044000946
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Fairbury · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 46.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Fairbury, NE.
School address
District: Fairbury Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317044000946 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.9%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary School
Central Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairbury, Nebraska, enrolling 277 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 46.9% of students qualify for free meals, 52% above the Nebraska average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 277 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.
Among 134 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #109, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 554 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Fairbury Public Schools also operates Fairbury Jr-Sr High School (370 students) and Jefferson Intermediate School (259 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary School compares
Central 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.9% | ▲ 52% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 66% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,286
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 75.5%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
African American 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Two or More 1.1%
Largest group: White at 75.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.5, Central 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 Fairbury Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary School.
$15,286
Per student
-14%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.8%
State 12.8%
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 Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbury Jr-Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 259
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~277 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fairbury 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 Central Elementary School
How many students attend Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has 277 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairbury, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 8% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary School?
46.9% of students at Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary School is White at 75.5% of enrollment, in Fairbury, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Central Elementary School rank among public schools in Fairbury?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Fairbury, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Fairbury on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. 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 Fairbury Public Schools?
Besides Central Elementary School, Fairbury Public Schools also operates Fairbury Jr-Sr High School (370 students) and Jefferson Intermediate School (259 students). See the Fairbury 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.