Enrollment
499
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gretna, NE
Squire John Thomas Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Squire John Thomas Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317122001760
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Squire John Thomas Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Nebraska schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Gretna · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 11.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Squire John Thomas Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Squire John Thomas Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Gretna, NE.
School address
District: Gretna Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317122001760 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.3%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Squire John Thomas Elementary compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Squire John Thomas Elementary
Squire John Thomas Elementary is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Gretna, Nebraska, enrolling 499 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 91% of Nebraska schools and 32% above the 13.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.3% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Nebraska average.
Enrollment of 499 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.
Against 133 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #89.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 499 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Gretna Public Schools spends $11,172 per pupil, 37% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Gretna Public Schools also operates Gretna High School (955 students) and Aspen Creek Middle School (863 students) alongside Squire John Thomas Elementary.
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 Squire John Thomas Elementary compares
Squire John Thomas Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 32% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.3% | ▼ 63% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 499 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
499
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 91% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,172
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 499 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 88.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.6, Squire John Thomas Elementary is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gretna Public Schools, which includes Squire John Thomas Elementary.
$11,172
Per student
-37%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.4%
State 30.6%
Federal 8.0%
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 Squire John Thomas Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gretna High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aspen Creek Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gretna Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harvest Hills Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whitetail Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Squire John Thomas Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 955
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 863
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~499 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Squire John Thomas Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Squire John Thomas Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gretna 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 Squire John Thomas Elementary
How many students attend Squire John Thomas Elementary?
Squire John Thomas Elementary has 499 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gretna, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Squire John Thomas Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Squire John Thomas Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 32% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Squire John Thomas Elementary?
11.3% of students at Squire John Thomas Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Squire John Thomas Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Squire John Thomas Elementary is White at 88.2% of enrollment, in Gretna, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Squire John Thomas Elementary?
Squire John Thomas Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Squire John Thomas Elementary rank among schools in Gretna?
By Resource Investment Index, Squire John Thomas Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Gretna, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gretna on the city page.
Is Squire John Thomas Elementary a good school?
Squire John Thomas Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Gretna Public Schools?
Besides Squire John Thomas Elementary, Gretna Public Schools also operates Gretna High School (955 students), Aspen Creek Middle School (863 students), and Gretna Middle School (784 students). See the Gretna 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.