Enrollment
300
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 317182001066
Hershey Elementary School — Hershey, NE
Federal NCES profile for Hershey Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 64/100.
👥 Class size 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 87
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: Hershey 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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Nebraska avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.8%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hershey 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
Hershey Elementary School reports 300 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% 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 4% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 23.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the Nebraska average and 54% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 200 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 5.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hershey Public Schools spends $17,527 per pupil district-wide, below the Nebraska average of $20,313 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 66.5% from local sources (property taxes), 27.1% from the state, and 6.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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 Hershey 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.8% | ▼ 23% | 30.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 60% | — | — |
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
23.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
— 12% above state mean
Top 73% in Nebraska — lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$17,527
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 200 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 300 Top 60% in Nebraska — larger than 40% of 1,010 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 15.2:1 +12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 23.8% -23% vs state
NCES ID 317182001066
Student demographics
White 91.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Two or More 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.5
Students per counselor 200:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 5.3%
In-school suspensions 13
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hershey Public Schools, which includes Hershey Elementary School.
$17,527
Per student
-14%
vs Nebraska
Avg $20,313
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 66.5%
State 27.1%
Federal 6.4%
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
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
Similar other schools in Hershey
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Hershey Elementary School
How many students attend Hershey Elementary School?
Hershey Elementary School has 300 students enrolled. It is a other school in HERSHEY, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hershey Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hershey Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 12% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hershey Elementary School?
23.8% of students at Hershey Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hershey Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hershey Elementary School is White at 91.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in HERSHEY, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hershey Elementary School?
Hershey Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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.