Enrollment
305
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hastings, NE
Longfellow Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Longfellow Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317158001055
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Longfellow Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska schools.
- #4 of 8
- schools in Hastings · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- students per teacher
- 37.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Longfellow Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Longfellow Elementary School ranks #4 of 8 schools in Hastings, NE.
School address
District: Hastings Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317158001055 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.5%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Longfellow Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Longfellow Elementary School
Longfellow Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hastings, Nebraska, enrolling 305 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 305 students, its enrollment sits close to the Nebraska median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 177 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #83.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 305 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
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 Longfellow 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 Longfellow Elementary School compares
Longfellow 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.5% | ▲ 21% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
305
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 36% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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 305 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 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 54.1%
Hispanic or Latino 37.0%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.7, Longfellow 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 Longfellow 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 Longfellow Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hastings Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Morton Early Learning Center | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Raymond a Watson Elem School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Longfellow Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 38.5:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~305 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Longfellow Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Longfellow Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hastings 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 Longfellow Elementary School
How many students attend Longfellow Elementary School?
Longfellow Elementary School has 305 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hastings, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Longfellow Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Longfellow Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 13% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Longfellow Elementary School?
37.5% of students at Longfellow Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Longfellow Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Longfellow Elementary School is White at 54.1% of enrollment, in Hastings, NE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Longfellow Elementary School?
Longfellow Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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).
How does Longfellow Elementary School rank among schools in Hastings?
By Resource Investment Index, Longfellow Elementary School ranks #4 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 Longfellow Elementary School a good school?
Longfellow Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Hastings Public Schools?
Besides Longfellow 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.
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.