Enrollment
360
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lincoln, NE
Zeman Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Zeman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 317284001183
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Zeman Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Nebraska median.
- #17 of 45
- schools in Lincoln · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.6:1
- students per teacher
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Zeman Elementary School has class sizes near the Nebraska median. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Zeman Elementary School ranks #17 of 45 schools in Lincoln, NE.
School address
District: Lincoln Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317284001183 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Zeman Elementary School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Zeman Elementary School
Zeman Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lincoln, Nebraska, enrolling 360 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 34.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 360 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 177 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #61.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 360 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lincoln Public Schools spends $12,831 per pupil, 27% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Lincoln Public Schools also operates Southwest High School (2,110 students) and Lincoln High School (2,086 students) alongside Zeman 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 Zeman Elementary School compares
Zeman 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▲ 12% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 360 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
360
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 35% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,831
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 360 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 66.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
Two or More 10.8%
African American 5.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Zeman 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 Lincoln Public Schools, which includes Zeman Elementary School.
$12,831
Per student
-27%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 30.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 Zeman Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Star High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Southeast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Zeman Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,110
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,086
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,982
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,927
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~360 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Zeman Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Zeman Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Zeman Elementary School
How many students attend Zeman Elementary School?
Zeman Elementary School has 360 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lincoln, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Zeman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Zeman Elementary School is 11.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 26% 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 Zeman Elementary School?
34.6% of students at Zeman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Zeman Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Zeman Elementary School is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Lincoln, NE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Zeman Elementary School?
Zeman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Zeman Elementary School rank among schools in Lincoln?
By Resource Investment Index, Zeman Elementary School ranks #17 of 45 schools in Lincoln, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lincoln on the city page.
Is Zeman Elementary School a good school?
Zeman Elementary School earns 53/100 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 Lincoln Public Schools?
Besides Zeman Elementary School, Lincoln Public Schools also operates Southwest High School (2,110 students), Lincoln High School (2,086 students), and Lincoln East High School (1,982 students). See the Lincoln 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.