Enrollment
648
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kearney, NE
Horizon Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 317239001104
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Nebraska schools.
- #12 of 15
- public schools in Kearney · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 28.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Middle School ranks #12 of 15 public schools in Kearney, NE.
School address
District: Kearney Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317239001104 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.9%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Middle School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon Middle School
Horizon Middle School is a large middle school in Kearney, Nebraska, enrolling 648 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.9% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Nebraska, bigger than 90% of state schools at 648 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,003 Nebraska schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 85 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #78, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 648 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Kearney Public Schools spends $11,003 per pupil, 38% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Kearney Public Schools also operates Kearney High School (1,663 students) and Sunrise Middle School (536 students) alongside Horizon Middle 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 Horizon Middle School compares
Horizon Middle 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 17% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.9% | ▼ 6% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 648 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
648
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 78% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,003
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 648 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 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 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
Two or More 2.0%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Horizon Middle School is about as mixed as the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kearney Public Schools, which includes Horizon Middle School.
$11,003
Per student
-38%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.2%
State 22.5%
Federal 10.2%
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 Horizon Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sunrise Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northeast Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle 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 (~648 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Horizon Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Kearney 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 Horizon Middle School
How many students attend Horizon Middle School?
Horizon Middle School has 648 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kearney, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Middle School is 15.8:1, which is 17% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizon Middle School?
28.9% of students at Horizon Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Middle School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Kearney, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Middle School?
Horizon Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Horizon Middle School rank among public schools in Kearney?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Middle School ranks #12 of 15 public schools in Kearney, 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 Kearney on the city page.
Is Horizon Middle School a good school?
Horizon Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Kearney Public Schools?
Besides Horizon Middle School, Kearney Public Schools also operates Kearney High School (1,663 students), Sunrise Middle School (536 students), and Meadowlark Elementary School (417 students). See the Kearney 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.