Enrollment
115
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Neligh, NE
Westward Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Westward Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317422002332
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 77
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westward Elementary School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Neligh · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- students per teacher
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Westward Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westward Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Neligh, NE.
School address
District: Neligh-Oakdale Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317422002332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westward Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westward Elementary School
Westward Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Neligh, Nebraska, enrolling 115 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.1% lands close to the Nebraska typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 115 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 185 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #85.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 115 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Neligh-Oakdale Schools also operates Neligh-Oakdale High School (144 students) and Eastward Elementary School (93 students) alongside Westward 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 Westward Elementary School compares
Westward 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 15% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▲ 4% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 115 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
115
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 34% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$16,511
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 115 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 93.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Two or More 0.9%
Largest group: White at 93.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.6, Westward Elementary School is less mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Neligh-Oakdale Schools, which includes Westward Elementary School.
$16,511
Per student
-7%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.4%
State 19.8%
Federal 6.7%
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 Westward Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neligh-Oakdale High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastward Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westward Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 144
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 93
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 70/100
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 (~115 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westward Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Westward Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Neligh-Oakdale 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 Westward Elementary School
How many students attend Westward Elementary School?
Westward Elementary School has 115 students enrolled. It is a public school in Neligh, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westward Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Westward Elementary School is 11.5:1, which is 15% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 27% 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 Westward Elementary School?
32.1% of students at Westward Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westward Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Westward Elementary School is White at 93.9% of enrollment, in Neligh, NE.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westward Elementary School?
Westward Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Westward Elementary School rank among public schools in Neligh?
By Resource Investment Index, Westward Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Neligh, 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 Neligh on the city page.
Is Westward Elementary School a good school?
Westward Elementary School earns 61/100 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 Neligh-Oakdale Schools?
Besides Westward Elementary School, Neligh-Oakdale Schools also operates Neligh-Oakdale High School (144 students) and Eastward Elementary School (93 students). See the Neligh-Oakdale 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.