Enrollment
536
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kearney, NE
Sunrise Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sunrise Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 317239000425
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunrise Middle School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #13 of 15
- public schools in Kearney · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 38.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunrise Middle School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunrise Middle School ranks #13 of 15 public schools in Kearney, NE.
School address
District: Kearney Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317239000425 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.6%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunrise Middle School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunrise Middle School
Sunrise Middle School is a large middle school in Kearney, Nebraska, enrolling 536 students.
At 12.5:1, 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 38.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 536 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,003 Nebraska schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 103 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Nebraska schools statewide, it ranks #102, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 536 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Kearney Public Schools spends $11,003 per pupil, 38% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 117 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 536 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Kearney Public Schools also operates Kearney High School (1,663 students) and Horizon Middle School (648 students) alongside Sunrise 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 Sunrise Middle School compares
Sunrise 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.6% | ▲ 25% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,003
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 536 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
56
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.8 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 72.6%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 72.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.7, Sunrise Middle School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kearney Public Schools, which includes Sunrise Middle School.
$11,003
Per student
-38%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.2%
State 22.5%
Federal 10.2%
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 Sunrise Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadowlark Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenwood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sunrise Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,663
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~536 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunrise Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sunrise Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Kearney 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 Sunrise Middle School
How many students attend Sunrise Middle School?
Sunrise Middle School has 536 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kearney, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunrise Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunrise Middle School is 12.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunrise Middle School?
38.6% of students at Sunrise Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunrise Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sunrise Middle School is White at 72.6% of enrollment, in Kearney, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunrise Middle School?
Sunrise Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Sunrise Middle School rank among public schools in Kearney?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunrise Middle School ranks #13 of 15 public 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 public schools in Kearney on the city page.
Is Sunrise Middle School a good school?
Sunrise Middle School earns 24/100 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 Kearney Public Schools?
Besides Sunrise Middle School, Kearney Public Schools also operates Kearney High School (1,663 students), Horizon Middle School (648 students), and Meadowlark Elementary School (417 students). See the Kearney 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.