High school (grades 9-12) · Kearney, NE

Kearney High School

Federal NCES profile for Kearney High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 317239001105
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10024/100
👥 S:T ratio
26
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
17
📋 Attendance
22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Kearney High School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Nebraska schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Nebraska.

#13 of 15
public schools in Kearney · Resource Index
24
Resource Index · Lower
18.5:1
large classes for Nebraska
28.4%
free-lunch eligible

Kearney High School has class sizes larger than 93% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Kearney High School ranks #13 of 15 public schools in Kearney, NE.

School address

Kearney, NE 68845
District: Kearney Public Schools · Nebraska

NCES ID 317239001105 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+25 students YoY

Kearney High School held near 1,654 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+25 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 90.8 → 91.7 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+25 students YoY 317239001105 · Kearney, NE High · MID · TRAD

1,663 enr · 18.5:1 · 28.4% lunch · RII 24

Nearest enrollment peer: Horizon Middle School (648 students)

Kearney High School held near 1,654 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+25 headcount). Teacher FTE added 90.8 → 91.7 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Nebraska schools → · Find another →

Kearney High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Kearney High School reports 1,663 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Kearney High School compares

Kearney High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Nebraska and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Nebraska Nebraska avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 18.5:1 ▲ 37% 13.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 28.4% ▼ 8% 30.9% 51.7%
Enrollment 1,663 top 2% - -

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

18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,663
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible - 8% 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
18.5:1
students per teacher - 37% above state mean
Top 93% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.4%
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
$11,473
per pupil, district-wide - below Nebraska avg of $18,497
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 416 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

Student demographics

White 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
African American 2.3%
Two or More 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 35.7/100

Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Kearney High School is about as mixed as the Nebraska school average of 34.9.

Programs

AP courses offered 10

District finance for Kearney Public Schools reports $11,473 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Kearney High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Horizon Middle School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Sunrise Middle School Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Meadowlark Elementary School Smaller Lower economic need Similar S:T ratio
Kenwood Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Northeast Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Kearney Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~1,663 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.5:1)

Frequently asked questions about Kearney High School

How many students attend Kearney High School?

Kearney High School has 1,663 students enrolled. It is a high school in Kearney, NE. CCD year-over-year: 1,629 (2022-23) → 1,654 (2023-24), nearly flat (+25).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Kearney High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Kearney High School is 18.5:1, which is 37% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kearney High School?

28.4% of students at Kearney High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kearney High School?

The largest demographic group at Kearney High School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Kearney, NE.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Kearney High School?

Kearney High School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Kearney High School rank among public schools in Kearney?

By Resource Investment Index, Kearney High School ranks #13 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.

What other schools are in Kearney Public Schools?

Besides Kearney High School, Kearney Public Schools also operates Horizon Middle School (648 students), Sunrise Middle School (536 students), and Meadowlark Elementary School (417 students). See the Kearney Public Schools district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 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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Compiled from official source data by .