Enrollment
96
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fairfield, NE
Sandy Creek Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sandy Creek Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 310012202285
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sandy Creek Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Fairfield · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sandy Creek Middle School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sandy Creek Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, NE.
School address
District: South Central Nebraska Unified 5 · Nebraska
NCES ID 310012202285 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandy Creek Middle School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sandy Creek Middle School
Sandy Creek Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Fairfield, Nebraska, enrolling 96 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Nebraska median, within a few percentage points of the 13.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 96 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Among 112 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #86, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 384 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
South Central Nebraska Unified 5 also operates Sandy Creek Elementary School (209 students) and Sandy Creek High School (110 students) alongside Sandy Creek Middle 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 Sandy Creek Middle School compares
Sandy Creek Middle 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 | 13.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▲ 35% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 96 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
96
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,203
per pupil, district-wide
- above Nebraska avg of $17,680
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Central Nebraska Unified 5, which includes Sandy Creek Middle School.
$19,203
Per student
+9%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 74.9%
State 14.6%
Federal 10.5%
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 Sandy Creek Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Creek Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sandy Creek High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lawrence/Nelson Elementary Sch | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clay Co Learning Center - Fairfield | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lawrence/Nelson High Sch | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sandy Creek Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 209
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 110
- Students per teacher
- 7.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 87
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 63
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 63
- Students per teacher
- 7.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar middle 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 (~96 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sandy Creek Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sandy Creek Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- South Central Nebraska Unified 5'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 Sandy Creek Middle School
How many students attend Sandy Creek Middle School?
Sandy Creek Middle School has 96 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fairfield, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandy Creek Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandy Creek Middle School is 13.7:1, which is 1% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sandy Creek Middle School?
41.7% of students at Sandy Creek Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandy Creek Middle School?
Sandy Creek Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Sandy Creek Middle School rank among public schools in Fairfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Sandy Creek Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, 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 Fairfield on the city page.
Is Sandy Creek Middle School a good school?
Sandy Creek Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median. 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 South Central Nebraska Unified 5?
Besides Sandy Creek Middle School, South Central Nebraska Unified 5 also operates Sandy Creek Elementary School (209 students), Sandy Creek High School (110 students), and Lawrence/Nelson Elementary Sch (87 students). See the South Central Nebraska Unified 5 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.