Enrollment
300
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hershey, NE
Hershey Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hershey Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317182001066
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hershey Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Nebraska schools.
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 23.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 300
- students enrolled
Hershey Elementary School has class sizes larger than 70% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Hershey Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317182001066 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+11% 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
What stands out at Hershey Elementary School
Hershey Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hershey, Nebraska, enrolling 300 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 300 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.
Among 203 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 200 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district, Hershey Public Schools, also runs Hershey High School (239 students).
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 Hershey Elementary School compares
Hershey 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.8% | ▼ 23% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
15:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 70% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,669
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 15.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.5, Hershey 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 Hershey Public Schools, which includes Hershey Elementary School.
$14,669
Per student
-17%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Hershey Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hershey High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hershey Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
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 (~300 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hershey Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hershey Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hershey 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 Hershey Elementary School
How many students attend Hershey Elementary School?
Hershey Elementary School has 300 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hershey, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hershey Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hershey Elementary School is 15:1, which is 11% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Hershey, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hershey Elementary School?
Hershey Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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).
Is Hershey Elementary School a good school?
Hershey Elementary School earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Nebraska schools. 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 Hershey Public Schools?
Besides Hershey Elementary School, Hershey Public Schools also operates Hershey High School (239 students). See the Hershey 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.