Enrollment
417
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kearney, NE
Meadowlark Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Meadowlark Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317239000329
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadowlark Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Nebraska schools.
- #8 of 12
- schools in Kearney · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 11.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Meadowlark Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark Elementary School ranks #8 of 12 schools in Kearney, NE.
School address
District: Kearney Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317239000329 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.0%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadowlark Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadowlark Elementary School
Meadowlark Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kearney, Nebraska, enrolling 417 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.1:1 is larger than about 92% of Nebraska schools and 34% above the 13.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.0% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Nebraska average.
Enrollment of 417 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Among 143 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #129, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 417 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Horizon Middle School (648 students) alongside Meadowlark 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 Meadowlark Elementary School compares
Meadowlark 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 34% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.0% | ▼ 64% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
417
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 92% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 417 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
African American 2.4%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.6, Meadowlark Elementary School is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kearney Public Schools, which includes Meadowlark Elementary 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 Meadowlark Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunrise Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadowlark Elementary 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
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- 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 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 (~417 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadowlark Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Meadowlark Elementary 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 Meadowlark Elementary School
How many students attend Meadowlark Elementary School?
Meadowlark Elementary School has 417 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kearney, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary School is 18.1:1, which is 34% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Meadowlark Elementary School?
11.0% of students at Meadowlark Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadowlark Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Meadowlark Elementary School is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Kearney, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadowlark Elementary School?
Meadowlark Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Meadowlark Elementary School rank among schools in Kearney?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadowlark Elementary School ranks #8 of 12 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 schools in Kearney on the city page.
Is Meadowlark Elementary School a good school?
Meadowlark Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Meadowlark Elementary School, Kearney Public Schools also operates Kearney High School (1,663 students), Horizon Middle School (648 students), and Sunrise Middle School (536 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.