Enrollment
499
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wayne, NE
Wayne Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wayne Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317852002267
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wayne Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Nebraska schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Wayne · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Nebraska
- 29.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Wayne Elementary School has class sizes larger than 85% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wayne Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Wayne, NE.
School address
District: Wayne Community Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317852002267 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.9%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wayne Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wayne Elementary School
Wayne Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Wayne, Nebraska, enrolling 499 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.9% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
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 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #83.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 499 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Wayne Community Schools spends $12,196 per pupil, 31% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Wayne Community Schools also operates Wayne High School (323 students) and Wayne Junior High School (148 students) alongside Wayne 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 Wayne Elementary School compares
Wayne 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 23% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.9% | ▼ 3% | 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
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% 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
29.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 85% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
6.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,196
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
19
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.0 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 75.8%
Hispanic or Latino 19.8%
Two or More 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 75.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.6, Wayne 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 Wayne Community Schools, which includes Wayne Elementary School.
$12,196
Per student
-31%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 77.3%
State 14.3%
Federal 8.5%
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 Wayne Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wayne Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wayne Early Learning Center | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wayne Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 148
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 46:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wayne Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wayne Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wayne 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 Wayne Elementary School
How many students attend Wayne Elementary School?
Wayne Elementary School has 499 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wayne, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wayne Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wayne Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 23% higher than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wayne Elementary School?
29.9% of students at Wayne Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wayne Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wayne Elementary School is White at 75.8% of enrollment, in Wayne, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wayne Elementary School?
Wayne Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Wayne Elementary School rank among public schools in Wayne?
By Resource Investment Index, Wayne Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Wayne, 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 Wayne on the city page.
Is Wayne Elementary School a good school?
Wayne Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Wayne Community Schools?
Besides Wayne Elementary School, Wayne Community Schools also operates Wayne High School (323 students), Wayne Junior High School (148 students), and Wayne Early Learning Center (46 students). See the Wayne 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.