Enrollment
777
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Grand Island, NE
Walnut Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Walnut Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 310001601027
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walnut Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Grand Island · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 66.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Walnut Middle School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Grand Island, NE.
School address
District: Grand Island Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 310001601027 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
61.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-6% 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
What stands out at Walnut Middle School
Walnut Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Grand Island, Nebraska, enrolling 777 students.
At 12.7:1, 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 is high: 66.2% of students qualify for free meals, 114% above the Nebraska average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Nebraska, bigger than 94% of state schools at 777 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 16 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (71%) and White (22%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 259 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Grand Island Public Schools spends $13,377 per pupil, 24% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 163 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 777 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Grand Island Public Schools also operates Grand Island Senior High School (2,696 students) and Westridge Middle School (694 students) alongside Walnut 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 Walnut Middle School compares
Walnut 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 6% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.2% | ▲ 114% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 777 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
777
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 114% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.5%
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
$13,377
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
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
- 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
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.
Student-body diversity index 44.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.3, Walnut Middle School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Island Public Schools, which includes Walnut Middle School.
$13,377
Per student
-24%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Walnut Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Island Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westridge Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barr Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Howard Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Starr Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walnut Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,696
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 694
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~777 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walnut Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Walnut Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Grand Island 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 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 12.7:1, which is 6% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 19% 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 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% of enrollment, in Grand Island, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walnut Middle School?
Walnut Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Walnut Middle School rank among middle schools in Grand Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Grand Island, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Grand Island on the city page.
Is Walnut Middle School a good school?
Walnut Middle School earns 48/100 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 Grand Island Public Schools?
Besides Walnut Middle School, Grand Island Public Schools also operates Grand Island Senior High School (2,696 students), Westridge Middle School (694 students), and Barr Middle School (648 students). See the Grand Island 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.