Enrollment
501
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 317158002433
Morton Early Learning Center — Hastings, NE
Federal NCES profile for Morton Early Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 14/100.
👥 Class size 14
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Hastings Public Schools · Nebraska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 13.6:1 Nebraska avg
+57% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.1%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Morton Early Learning Center compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Morton Early Learning Center reports 501 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 13.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 21.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 57% above the Nebraska state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 35% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 20.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 35% below the Nebraska average and 61% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hastings Public Schools spends $14,277 per pupil district-wide, below the Nebraska average of $20,313 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 36.4% from local sources (property taxes), 50.3% from the state, and 13.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (F), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Morton Early Learning Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Nebraska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.4:1 | ▲ 57% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.1% | ▼ 35% | 30.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 501 | top 85% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
20.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 35% 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
21.4:1
students per teacher
— 57% above state mean
Top 97% in Nebraska — lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$14,277
per pupil, district-wide
— below Nebraska avg of $20,313
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 501 Top 85% in Nebraska — larger than 15% of 1,010 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 13.0
Students per teacher 21.4:1 +57% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 20.1% -35% vs state
NCES ID 317158002433
Student demographics
White 84.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.2% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hastings Public Schools, which includes Morton Early Learning Center.
$14,277
Per student
-30%
vs Nebraska
Avg $20,313
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 343
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
Similar other schools in Hastings
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Adams Central Elementary School
Standard public school
506 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Adams Central Jr-Sr High Sch
Standard public school
452 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Hawthorne Elementary School
Standard public school
343 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Raymond a Watson Elem School
Standard public school
336 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary School
Standard public school
305 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Lincoln Elementary School
Standard public school
289 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Morton Early Learning Center
How many students attend Morton Early Learning Center?
Morton Early Learning Center has 501 students enrolled. It is a other school in HASTINGS, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Morton Early Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Morton Early Learning Center is 21.4:1, which is 57% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.6:1 and 35% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Morton Early Learning Center?
20.1% of students at Morton Early Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Morton Early Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Morton Early Learning Center is White at 84.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in HASTINGS, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Morton Early Learning Center?
Morton Early Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 14/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.