Enrollment
181
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mc Cook, NE
Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 317347001219
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Mc Cook · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 35.5%
- 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 #1 of 4 public schools in Mc Cook, NE.
School address
District: Mc Cook Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317347001219 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.5%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+15% 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 elementary school in Mc Cook, Nebraska, enrolling 181 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 35.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 181 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 198 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #91.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Mc Cook Public Schools spends $13,777 per pupil, 22% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Mc Cook Public Schools also operates Mc Cook Senior High School (448 students) and Mc Cook Elementary School (411 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.5% | ▲ 15% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 181 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
181
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,777
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 + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 86.2%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 86.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.5, Central Elementary School is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mc Cook Public Schools, which includes Central Elementary School.
$13,777
Per student
-22%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.6%
State 39.6%
Federal 12.8%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mc Cook Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mc Cook Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mc Cook Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary 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 (~181 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mc Cook 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 181 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mc Cook, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary School is 12.1:1, which is 10% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 23% 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 Central Elementary School?
35.5% 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 86.2% of enrollment, in Mc Cook, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary School?
Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Mc Cook?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Mc Cook, 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 Mc Cook on the city page.
Is Central Elementary School a good school?
Central Elementary School earns 57/100 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 Mc Cook Public Schools?
Besides Central Elementary School, Mc Cook Public Schools also operates Mc Cook Senior High School (448 students), Mc Cook Elementary School (411 students), and Mc Cook Junior High School (305 students). See the Mc Cook 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.