Enrollment
399
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Papillion, NE
Tara Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tara Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317527001481
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tara Heights Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #5 of 13
- schools in Papillion · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 26.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Tara Heights Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tara Heights Elementary School ranks #5 of 13 schools in Papillion, NE.
School address
District: Papillion La Vista Community Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317527001481 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.8%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tara Heights Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tara Heights Elementary School
Tara Heights Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Papillion, Nebraska, enrolling 399 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 26.8% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 399 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 191 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #99.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 399 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Papillion La Vista Community Schools spends $11,412 per pupil, 35% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Papillion La Vista Community Schools also operates Papillion La Vista South Hs (2,038 students) and Papillion La Vista Senior High (1,867 students) alongside Tara Heights 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 Tara Heights Elementary School compares
Tara Heights 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.8% | ▼ 13% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 399 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
399
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 63% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,412
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 399 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 76.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 3.5%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.7, Tara Heights 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 Papillion La Vista Community Schools, which includes Tara Heights Elementary School.
$11,412
Per student
-35%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.2%
State 32.0%
Federal 7.8%
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 Tara Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papillion La Vista South Hs | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Papillion La Vista Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| La Vista Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Papillion Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tara Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,038
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,867
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~399 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tara Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tara Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Papillion La Vista 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 Tara Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Tara Heights Elementary School?
Tara Heights Elementary School has 399 students enrolled. It is a public school in Papillion, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tara Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tara Heights Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 6% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tara Heights Elementary School?
26.8% of students at Tara Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tara Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tara Heights Elementary School is White at 76.4% of enrollment, in Papillion, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tara Heights Elementary School?
Tara Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Tara Heights Elementary School rank among schools in Papillion?
By Resource Investment Index, Tara Heights Elementary School ranks #5 of 13 schools in Papillion, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Papillion on the city page.
Is Tara Heights Elementary School a good school?
Tara Heights Elementary School earns 50/100 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 Papillion La Vista Community Schools?
Besides Tara Heights Elementary School, Papillion La Vista Community Schools also operates Papillion La Vista South Hs (2,038 students), Papillion La Vista Senior High (1,867 students), and La Vista Middle School (719 students). See the Papillion La Vista 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.