Enrollment
284
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 310001601015
Gates Elementary School — Grand Island, NE
Federal NCES profile for Gates Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 60/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 56
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Grand Island Public Schools · Nebraska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.6:1 Nebraska avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.2%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gates Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Gates Elementary School reports 284 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% above the Nebraska state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 53.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% above the Nebraska average and 3% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 142 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 17.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Grand Island Public Schools spends $13,910 per pupil district-wide, below the Nebraska average of $20,313 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.1% from local sources (property taxes), 48.4% from the state, and 16.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Gates Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Nebraska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.2% | ▲ 72% | 30.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 284 | top 58% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
53.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 72% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 63% in Nebraska — lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
17.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$13,910
per pupil, district-wide
— below Nebraska avg of $20,313
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 142 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 284 Top 58% in Nebraska — larger than 42% of 1,010 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 53.2% +72% vs state
NCES ID 310001601015
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 46.5%
White 44.4%
African American 4.9%
Two or More 3.2%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 142:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 17.6%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Island Public Schools, which includes Gates Elementary School.
$13,910
Per student
-32%
vs Nebraska
Avg $20,313
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 48.4%
Federal 16.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,696
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 777
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 694
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
Similar other schools in Grand Island
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Howard Elementary School
Standard public school
484 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Starr Elementary School
Standard public school
453 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Engleman Elementary School
Standard public school
448 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Shoemaker Elementary School
Standard public school
438 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Dodge Elementary School
Standard public school
436 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Cedar Hollow School
Standard public school
378 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Gates Elementary School
How many students attend Gates Elementary School?
Gates Elementary School has 284 students enrolled. It is a other school in GRAND ISLAND, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gates Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gates Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 5% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gates Elementary School?
53.2% of students at Gates Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gates Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gates Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 46.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in GRAND ISLAND, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gates Elementary School?
Gates Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (C+) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.