Enrollment
373
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, NE
Shell Creek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shell Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 310011200492
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shell Creek Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Nebraska schools.
- #3 of 7
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 24.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Shell Creek Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shell Creek Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 schools in Columbus, NE.
School address
District: Lakeview Community Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 310011200492 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.0%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shell Creek Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shell Creek Elementary School
Shell Creek Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbus, Nebraska, enrolling 373 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 373 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 196 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #94.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Lakeview Community Schools spends $13,841 per pupil, 22% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lakeview Community Schools also operates Lakeview High School (344 students) and Platte Center Elementary School (168 students) alongside Shell Creek 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 Shell Creek Elementary School compares
Shell Creek 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.0% | ▼ 22% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 373 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
373
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 82% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
2.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,841
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Two or More 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.0, Shell Creek 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 Lakeview Community Schools, which includes Shell Creek Elementary School.
$13,841
Per student
-22%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.7%
State 14.3%
Federal 9.0%
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 Shell Creek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Platte Center Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Junior High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shell Creek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 344
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 152
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~373 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shell Creek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shell Creek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lakeview Community 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 Shell Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Shell Creek Elementary School?
Shell Creek Elementary School has 373 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shell Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shell Creek Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 20% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Shell Creek Elementary School?
24.0% of students at Shell Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shell Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shell Creek Elementary School is White at 76.1% of enrollment, in Columbus, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shell Creek Elementary School?
Shell Creek 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 Shell Creek Elementary School rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Shell Creek Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 schools in Columbus, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Shell Creek Elementary School a good school?
Shell Creek Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Lakeview Community Schools?
Besides Shell Creek Elementary School, Lakeview Community Schools also operates Lakeview High School (344 students), Platte Center Elementary School (168 students), and Lakeview Junior High School (152 students). See the Lakeview Community 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.