Is Emerson Elementary School a good school?

Emerson Elementary School ranks in the bottom 10.7% of Nebraska elementary schools.

How many students attend Emerson Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 275 students attended Emerson Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Emerson Elementary School?

Students at Emerson Elementary School are 58% Hispanic, 39% White, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Emerson Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Emerson Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Columbus Middle School High : Columbus High School

Emerson Elementary School

Summary:

Emerson Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in Columbus, Nebraska, with 281 students. The school is part of the Columbus Public Schools district, which is ranked 175 out of 182 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Emerson Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Nebraska elementary schools, with a current ranking of 382 out of 428 schools and a 1-star rating. The school faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates (ranging from 15.7% to 21.5%), low test scores in both English Language Arts and Mathematics (with only 41% of 3rd graders and 33% of 4th graders proficient or better in ELA, and 52.17% of 3rd graders and 31% of 4th graders proficient in Math), and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (ranging from 40.6% to 54.08%).

While Emerson Elementary's per-student spending is relatively high, ranging from $12,646 to $15,890 over the past few years, the school's academic outcomes remain below state and district averages. Interestingly, the nearby Centennial Elementary, North Park Elementary, and West Park Elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools district also exhibit similar challenges, suggesting that these issues may be systemic within the district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

2410 20th St
Columbus, NE 68602-0947

(402) 563-7030

District: Columbus Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
382^nd of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,890

Students who attend Emerson Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Columbus Middle School
High:	Columbus High School

Student/teacher ratio: 21.0

Number of students: 275

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

58.2%

White:

38.9%

African American:

1.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.5%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Emerson Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Emerson Elementary School ranks worse than 89.3% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.58. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (58.2%), White (38.9%), African American (1.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary School is 21. 4 elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Emerson Elementary School employs 13 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Emerson Elementary School is $15,890, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Columbus Public Schools District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Emerson Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Emerson Elementary School 382^nd of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See Emerson Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hispanic students:

Columbus Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbus Public Schools 175^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Emerson Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Emerson Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	12.40	392^nd	418	6.2%
2007	27.00	370^th	430	14.0%
2008	21.09	457^th	478	4.4%
2009	23.27	446^th	471	5.3%
2010	47.30	319^th	502	36.5%
2011	39.22	313^th	473	33.8%
2012	48.99	264^th	480	45.0%
2013	47.42	284^th	485	41.4%
2014	63.60	159^th	483	67.1%
2015	67.10	141^st	488	71.1%
2016	65.76	143^rd	480	70.2%
2017	46.84	260^th	459	43.4%
2018	25.83	366^th	450	18.7%
2019	28.72	346^th	452	23.5%
2021	34.62	315^th	442	28.7%
2022	18.01	384^th	457	16.0%
2023	12.67	417^th	459	9.2%
2024	14.58	382^nd	428	10.7%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	52.05	24^th	60	60.0%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	44.60	169^th	281	39.9%
2019	32.00	231^st	298	22.5%
2021	54.61	119^th	264	54.9%
2023	20.96	273^rd	312	12.5%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2019	24.70	286^th	349	18.1%
2021	33.97	224^th	318	29.6%
2022	16.39	295^th	337	12.5%
2023	17.75	299^th	349	14.3%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	30.96	259^th	347	25.4%
2019	44.03	212^th	367	42.2%
2021	26.42	263^rd	328	19.8%
2022	15.16	314^th	356	11.8%
2023	11.87	337^th	366	7.9%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	45.51	46^th	81	43.2%
2019	42.06	64^th	90	28.9%
2021	69.52	14^th	68	79.4%
2022	43.27	48^th	81	40.7%
2023	37.35	79^th	108	26.9%
2024	36.65	32^nd	53	39.6%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Emerson Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	35.52	257^th	368	30.2%

See the entire list of Best Nebraska Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Nebraska Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

We're sorry, but no reviews have been submitted for Emerson Elementary School.

If you have first-hand knowledge about Emerson Elementary School, submit a rating!

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Emerson Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	177	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	177
1989	182	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	182
1990	212	0	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	213
1991	170	2	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	172
1992	194	0	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	196
1993	171	3	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	177
1994	189	1	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	194
1995	190	2	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	202
1996	190	2	3	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	202
1997	189	2	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	199
1998	184	1	3	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	208
1999	182	1	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	10	210
2000	192	3	2	23	2	n/a	n/a	0	222
2001	190	4	1	31	11	n/a	n/a	0	237
2002	174	6	6	74	2	n/a	n/a	0	262
2003	174	6	6	74	2	n/a	n/a	0	262
2004	162	4	8	96	3	n/a	n/a	0	273
2005	161	3	5	92	2	n/a	n/a	0	263
2006	167	6	5	81	5	n/a	n/a	0	264
2007	174	7	5	80	6	n/a	n/a	0	272
2008	179	9	1	96	4	n/a	n/a	0	289
2009	206	10	1	144	3	n/a	n/a	0	364
2010	164	6	1	106	2	n/a	n/a	0	279
2011	142	4	1	123	2	0	7	0	279
2012	139	5	3	131	3	0	3	0	284
2013	145	4	1	125	4	0	4	0	283
2014	134	4	0	160	3	0	4	0	305
2015	153	4	0	164	3	0	6	0	330
2016	149	7	0	172	2	0	4	0	334
2017	147	2	1	168	7	0	4	0	329
2018	126	3	2	126	3	1	0	0	261
2019	136	4	0	154	2	0	2	0	298
2020	149	2	1	158	2	0	0	0	312
2021	140	2	0	152	3	0	1	0	298
2022	127	0	0	162	3	0	2	0	294
2023	116	5	0	156	2	0	2	0	281
2024	107	4	1	160	2	0	1	0	275

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Emerson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	177	9.7	18.2	11.3
1989	182	10.0	18.2	11
1990	213	11.0	19.3	11.7
1991	172	10.9	15.7	10.5
1992	196	9.9	19.7	12.8
1993	177	10.9	16.2	13.6
1994	194	9.1	21.3	14.9
1995	202	11.6	17.4	16.3
1996	202	11.6	17.4	16.3
1997	199	11.6	17.2	14.1
1998	208	11.7	17.8	17.8
1999	210	12.5	16.8	40
2000	222	12.5	17.8	32.9
2001	237	14.1	16.8	40.5
2002	262	17.1	15.3	40.5
2003	262	17.1	15.3	40.5
2004	273	15.1	18.1	51.6
2005	263	15.6	16.9	58.9
2006	264	16.9	15.6	55.7
2007	272	18.0	15.1	54.4
2008	289	19.8	14.6	56.4
2009	364	19.2	19.0	48.1
2010	279	21.3	13.1	62.7
2011	279	19.0	14.6	65.6
2012	284	18.2	15.6	68.3
2013	283	17.2	16.4	64.7
2014	305	18.5	16.4	72.5
2015	330	16.0	20.6	54.2
2016	334	16.0	20.8	51.5
2017	329	16.6	19.8	63.5
2018	261	14.6	17.8	62.1
2019	298	14.7	20.2	50
2020	312	16.5	18.9	46.2
2021	298	15.5	19.2	40.6
2022	294	15.0	19.6	54.1
2023	281	14.5	19.3	52
2024	275	13.0	21.0	58.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Emerson Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	177	9.7	18.2	11.3
1989	182	10.0	18.2	11
1990	213	11.0	19.3	11.7
1991	172	10.9	15.7	10.5
1992	196	9.9	19.7	12.8
1993	177	10.9	16.2	13.6
1994	194	9.1	21.3	14.9
1995	202	11.6	17.4	16.3
1996	202	11.6	17.4	16.3
1997	199	11.6	17.2	14.1
1998	208	11.7	17.8	17.8
1999	210	12.5	16.8	40
2000	222	12.5	17.8	32.9
2001	237	14.1	16.8	40.5
2002	262	17.1	15.3	40.5
2003	262	17.1	15.3	40.5
2004	273	15.1	18.1	51.6
2005	263	15.6	16.9	58.9
2006	264	16.9	15.6	55.7
2007	272	18.0	15.1	54.4
2008	289	19.8	14.6	56.4
2009	364	19.2	19.0	48.1
2010	279	21.3	13.1	62.7
2011	279	19.0	14.6	65.6
2012	284	18.2	15.6	68.3
2013	283	17.2	16.4	64.7
2014	305	18.5	16.4	72.5
2015	330	16.0	20.6	54.2
2016	334	16.0	20.8	51.5
2017	329	16.6	19.8	63.5
2018	261	14.6	17.8	62.1
2019	298	14.7	20.2	50
2020	312	16.5	18.9	46.2
2021	298	15.5	19.2	40.6
2022	294	15.0	19.6	54.1
2023	281	14.5	19.3	52
2024	275	13.0	21.0	58.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Emerson Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$418 (2.9%)	$12,837 (88.2%)	$14,560
2020	$1,579 (13.0%)	$9,315 (76.9%)	$12,110
2021	$1,650 (13.0%)	$9,734 (77.0%)	$12,646
2022	$1,963 (15.0%)	$9,879 (75.5%)	$13,081
2023	$851 (5.4%)	$13,410 (84.4%)	$15,890

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 346^th of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 417^th of 459 Elementary schools	14.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Elementary School)	41	37	4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Columbus Public Schools)	60	55	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Emerson Elementary School)	46	19	27%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Columbus Public Schools)	59	40	19%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Emerson Elementary School)	32	49	17%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Columbus Public Schools)	55	41	14%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Emerson Elementary School)	55	29	26%
4th Grade Mathematics (Columbus Public Schools)	47	40	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	298	281	5.7%
African American	4	5	25%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	154	156	1.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	136	116	14.7%
Two or More Races	2	2
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50%	52%	2%

Schools Near Emerson Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	2410 20th St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-7030	275	13	21.0	58.5%	107 (38.9%)	4 (1.5%)	160 (58.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14.6	382^nd of 428 public elementary schools	10.7%		12.7	417^th of 459 public elementary schools	9.2%	35	$15,890	$851	$13,410
Kramer Education Center	Public	PK	2410 16th Street	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 563-7000	178	6	29.6	36.0%	53 (29.8%)	8 (4.5%)	113 (63.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)								(n/a)
Pathways Beyond/Early Steps To Success Building	Public	PK	2508 27th Street	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 563-7000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
North Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	2200 31st St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-7070	299	21	14.5	58.2%	104 (34.8%)	5 (1.7%)	182 (60.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	26.5	334^th of 428 public elementary schools	22.0%		27.7	364^th of 459 public elementary schools	20.7%	30	$14,872	$851	$12,719
West Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4100 Adamy St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-7075	231	14	17.1	59.3%	98 (42.4%)	4 (1.7%)	124 (53.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.3%)	29.5	327^th of 428 public elementary schools	23.6%		23.4	373^rd of 459 public elementary schools	18.7%	46	$16,290	$851	$14,279
Lost Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	3772 33rd Ave	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 563-7045	313	25	12.4	51.1%	170 (54.3%)	12 (3.8%)	116 (37.1%)	5 (1.6%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	19.2	360^th of 428 public elementary schools	15.9%		19.7	384^th of 459 public elementary schools	16.3%	24	$15,398	$851	$13,284
Centennial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	500 Centennial St	Columbus	68602	Platte County	Columbus Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 563-8180	347	27	12.8	61.1%	159 (45.8%)	6 (1.7%)	173 (49.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	31.7	321^st of 428 public elementary schools	25.0%		34.3	337^th of 459 public elementary schools	26.6%	16	$13,988	$850	$11,837
Shell Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	16786 280th St	Columbus	68601	Platte County	Lakeview Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 564-8008	346	26	13.5	31.8%	262 (75.7%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (23.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	69.9	128^th of 428 public elementary schools	70.1%		69.8	135^th of 459 public elementary schools	70.6%	7	$13,597	$1,321	$10,777
Richland Elementary School	Public	3-5	595 Road 3	Richland	68601	Platte County	Schuyler Community Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(402) 564-6900	30	5	6.5	66.7%	5 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.3%)								(n/a)	$21,282	$978	$17,675
Bellwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	612 Park St	Bellwood	68624	Butler County	David City Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(402) 538-4805	86	10	8.3	66.3%	71 (82.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)								(n/a)	$29,412	$1,441	$24,156

Emerson Elementary School

Emerson Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Columbus Public Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Emerson Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Emerson Elementary School

Enrollment information for Emerson Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Emerson Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Emerson Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Emerson Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Emerson Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Emerson Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerson Elementary School

Rate Emerson Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!