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
0/100100/10040/100
👥 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

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

-9 students YoY

Meadowlark Elementary School held near 399 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-9 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 23.5 → 22.9 across the same CCD years.

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

Steady CCD campus

-9 students YoY 317239000329 · Kearney, NE Other · SMALL · TRAD

417 enr · 18.1:1 · 11.0% lunch · RII 40

Nearest enrollment peer: Kearney High School (1,663 students)

Meadowlark Elementary School held near 399 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-9 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 23.5 → 22.9 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Nebraska schools → · Find another →

Meadowlark Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Meadowlark Elementary School reports 417 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 Meadowlark Elementary School compares

Meadowlark Elementary 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 18.1:1 ▲ 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 methodology

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
$11,473
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
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.

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

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

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

Kearney Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide other 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.

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. CCD year-over-year: 408 (2022-23) → 399 (2023-24), nearly flat (-9).

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, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. 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.

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.

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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