Other / mixed grade configuration · Hastings, NE

Hawthorne Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Hawthorne Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317158001052
0/100100/10047/100
👥 S:T ratio
45
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
31
📋 Attendance
41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Hawthorne Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.

#6 of 8
schools in Hastings · Resource Index
47
Resource Index · Typical
13.7:1
students per teacher
37.7%
free-lunch eligible

Hawthorne Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Hawthorne Elementary School ranks #6 of 8 schools in Hastings, NE.

Enrollment

343

Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

25.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13.7:1

vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg

+1% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

37.7%

vs 30.9% Nebraska avg

+22% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Hawthorne Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Hawthorne Elementary School

Hawthorne Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hastings, Nebraska, enrolling 343 students.

At 13.7:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.7% of students eligible for free meals.

Enrollment of 343 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.

Against 170 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #107.

Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 45/100).

Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.

Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.

The surrounding Hastings Public Schools spends $12,975 per pupil, 27% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Hastings Public Schools also operates Hastings Senior High School (991 students) and Hastings Middle School (757 students) alongside Hawthorne 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 Hawthorne Elementary School compares

Hawthorne 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 13.7:1 ▲ 1% 13.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 37.7% ▲ 22% 30.9% 51.7%
Enrollment 343 top 32% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
343
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
37.7%
free-lunch eligible - 22% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher - 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$12,975
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 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 70.3%
Hispanic or Latino 24.2%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.3%

Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 44.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 44.5, Hawthorne 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 Hastings Public Schools, which includes Hawthorne Elementary School.

$12,975
Per student
-27%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.4%
State 50.3%
Federal 13.3%

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 Hawthorne Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Hastings Senior High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Hastings Middle School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Morton Early Learning Center Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Raymond a Watson Elem School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Longfellow Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Hawthorne Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Hastings Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Hawthorne Elementary School's federal record.

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 Hawthorne Elementary School

How many students attend Hawthorne Elementary School?

Hawthorne Elementary School has 343 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hastings, NE.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Hawthorne Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Hawthorne Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 1% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hawthorne Elementary School?

37.7% of students at Hawthorne Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hawthorne Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Hawthorne Elementary School is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Hastings, NE.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Hawthorne Elementary School?

Hawthorne 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 Hawthorne Elementary School rank among schools in Hastings?

By Resource Investment Index, Hawthorne Elementary School ranks #6 of 8 schools in Hastings, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hastings on the city page.

Is Hawthorne Elementary School a good school?

Hawthorne Elementary School earns 47/100 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 Hastings Public Schools?

Besides Hawthorne Elementary School, Hastings Public Schools also operates Hastings Senior High School (991 students), Hastings Middle School (757 students), and Morton Early Learning Center (501 students). See the Hastings Public Schools district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.