Enrollment
777
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 310001601027
Walnut Middle School — Grand Island, NE
Federal NCES profile for Walnut Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 26
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Grand Island Public Schools · Nebraska
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.6:1 Nebraska avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.2%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+114% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walnut Middle School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Walnut Middle School reports 777 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 61.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Nebraska state mean of 13.6:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 66.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 114% above the Nebraska average and 28% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 259 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Grand Island Public Schools spends $13,910 per pupil district-wide, below the Nebraska average of $20,313 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.1% from local sources (property taxes), 48.4% from the state, and 16.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Walnut Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Nebraska state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.2% | ▲ 114% | 30.9% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 777 | top 94% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
66.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 114% 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
14:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 59% in Nebraska — lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,910
per pupil, district-wide
— below Nebraska avg of $20,313
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 259 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
101
in-school suspensions + 62 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 777 Top 94% in Nebraska — larger than 6% of 1,010 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 61.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 66.2% +114% vs state
NCES ID 310001601027
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 71.3%
White 21.5%
African American 4.0%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 259:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.5%
In-school suspensions 101
Out-of-school suspensions 62
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Island Public Schools, which includes Walnut Middle School.
$13,910
Per student
-32%
vs Nebraska
Avg $20,313
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 48.4%
Federal 16.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,696
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 694
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
Similar middle schools in Grand Island
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Walnut Middle School
How many students attend Walnut Middle School?
Walnut Middle School has 777 students enrolled. It is a middle school in GRAND ISLAND, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walnut Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walnut Middle School is 14:1, which is 3% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.6:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walnut Middle School?
66.2% of students at Walnut Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walnut Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Walnut Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 71.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in GRAND ISLAND, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walnut Middle School?
Walnut Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.