Is Meadowlark Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Meadowlark Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 1 st of 428 Nebraska elementary schools.

How many students attend Meadowlark Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 399 students attended Meadowlark Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Meadowlark Elementary School?

Students at Meadowlark Elementary School are 86% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Meadowlark Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Meadowlark Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Sunrise Middle School High : Kearney High School

Meadowlark Elementary School

Summary:

Meadowlark Elementary School is a top-performing public elementary school in Kearney, Nebraska, serving 408 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Kearney Public Schools district.

Meadowlark Elementary has consistently been one of the highest-achieving schools in Nebraska, ranking 1st out of 428 elementary schools in the state for the 2023-2024 school year and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students significantly outperform their peers in the Kearney Public Schools district and across Nebraska on standardized tests, with 88.89% to 91.04% of 3rd through 5th graders scoring proficient or better in English Language Arts, and 88% to 93% scoring proficient or better in Mathematics. Meadowlark also excels in 5th-grade Science, with 97% of students scoring proficient or better, compared to 86% in the district and 76% statewide.

Meadowlark's strong academic performance extends across different student subgroups, with the school ranking among the top Nebraska elementary schools for female, male, white, and low-income students. Additionally, Meadowlark maintains relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 4.4% to 21.5% over the past few years, which are lower than the district and state averages. With its commitment to equity, effective teaching practices, and strong leadership, Meadowlark Elementary serves as a model for other schools in the region and could provide valuable insights to help improve student outcomes across the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1010 E 53rd St
Kearney, NE 68847-8599

(308) 698-8210

District: Kearney Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
1^st of 428 Nebraska Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,367

Students who attend Meadowlark Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Sunrise Middle School
High:	Kearney High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.3

Number of students: 399

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.5%

Hispanic:

7.3%

Two or more races:

2.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20.8%

See top rated Nebraska elementary schools

Compare Meadowlark Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Meadowlark Elementary School ranks better than 99.8% of elementary schools in Nebraska. It also ranks first among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Kearney Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.03. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (86.5%), Hispanic (7.3%), two or more races (2.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Meadowlark Elementary School is 17.3. 8 elementary schools in the Kearney Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Meadowlark Elementary School employs 22.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Meadowlark Elementary School is $11,367. 7 elementary schools in the Kearney Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Meadowlark Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Meadowlark Elementary School 1^st of 428 Nebraska public elementary schools. (See Meadowlark Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

White students:

Kearney Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Kearney Public Schools 44^th of 182 Nebraska school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Meadowlark Elementary School.

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Rank History for Meadowlark Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2006	67.20	124^th	418	70.3%
2007	60.89	190^th	430	55.8%
2008	75.75	22^nd	478	95.4%
2009	64.40	160^th	471	66.0%
2010	76.47	59^th	502	88.2%
2011	95.32	9^th	473	98.1%
2012	94.14	8^th	480	98.3%
2013	91.00	16^th	485	96.7%
2014	89.87	18^th	483	96.3%
2015	96.57	6^th	488	98.8%
2016	96.30	7^th	480	98.5%
2017	89.10	17^th	459	96.3%
2018	94.17	10^th	450	97.8%
2019	91.07	20^th	452	95.6%
2021	88.11	26^th	442	94.1%
2022	95.21	6^th	457	98.7%
2023	94.19	5^th	459	98.9%
2024	96.03	1^st	428	99.8%

See the entire list of Nebraska Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	96.87	2^nd	312	99.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	94.16	7^th	341	97.9%
2019	91.79	17^th	349	95.1%
2021	84.63	30^th	318	90.6%
2022	94.51	6^th	337	98.2%
2023	94.11	3^rd	349	99.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	92.43	11^th	347	96.8%
2019	86.77	30^th	367	91.8%
2021	85.73	28^th	328	91.5%
2022	94.24	8^th	356	97.8%
2023	93.78	7^th	366	98.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NE State Percentile
2018	92.98	10^th	391	97.4%
2019	89.13	22^nd	391	94.4%
2021	86.52	25^th	368	93.2%
2022	93.64	6^th	388	98.5%
2023	93.73	4^th	385	99.0%
2024	95.95	1^st	261	99.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The staff is amazing in working with students. I am so proud to have my kids work with the staff at Meadowlark. It is like a private school in itself. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Meadowlark Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	238	2	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
1996	238	2	3	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	249
1997	256	2	5	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	274
1998	262	0	2	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	275
1999	269	1	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	5	281
2000	256	4	2	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	271
2001	250	4	1	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	267
2002	250	1	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	259
2003	250	1	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	259
2004	246	1	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	260
2005	253	5	3	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
2006	256	4	6	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
2007	260	4	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
2008	257	5	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	272
2009	270	5	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	285
2010	277	2	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	288
2011	285	1	0	4	0	0	5	0	295
2012	333	2	1	10	0	0	4	0	350
2013	363	4	3	11	0	0	4	0	385
2014	391	6	4	7	0	0	2	0	410
2015	389	5	2	14	0	0	1	0	411
2016	376	5	3	13	1	0	1	0	399
2017	387	4	6	18	3	0	0	0	418
2018	388	6	8	25	3	0	3	0	433
2019	360	4	9	27	1	0	4	0	405
2020	338	4	8	28	1	0	5	0	384
2021	357	10	8	25	2	1	7	0	410
2022	350	5	11	21	1	0	5	0	393
2023	357	6	8	27	1	0	9	0	408
2024	345	8	5	29	1	1	10	0	399

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 Meadowlark Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	249	12.9	19.3	5.2
1996	249	12.9	19.3	5.2
1997	274	12.9	21.2	5.8
1998	275	12.9	21.3	5.1
1999	281	12.9	21.8	11.6
2000	271	13.6	19.9	10
2001	267	12.6	21.2	5.6
2002	259	14.1	18.4	3.9
2003	259	14.1	18.4	3.9
2004	260	13.5	19.3	3.1
2005	272	13.5	20.1	5.5
2006	275	14.0	19.6	8
2007	275	15.1	18.2	7.3
2008	272	15.2	17.9	4.8
2009	285	15.2	18.8	9.1
2010	288	15.1	19.0	10.4
2011	295	16.0	18.3	12.5
2012	350	20.8	16.7	17.1
2013	385	21.9	17.5	16.6
2014	410	23.5	17.4	13.7
2015	411	23.0	17.8	13.9
2016	399	24.0	16.6	11
2017	418	23.5	17.7	13.4
2018	433	23.4	18.5	17.8
2019	405	23.3	17.3	15.3
2020	384	23.4	16.3	17.2
2021	410	24.0	17.0	22
2022	393	23.4	16.7	13
2023	408	23.4	17.3	15.7
2024	399	22.9	17.3	20.8

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 Meadowlark Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	249	12.9	19.3	5.2
1996	249	12.9	19.3	5.2
1997	274	12.9	21.2	5.8
1998	275	12.9	21.3	5.1
1999	281	12.9	21.8	11.6
2000	271	13.6	19.9	10
2001	267	12.6	21.2	5.6
2002	259	14.1	18.4	3.9
2003	259	14.1	18.4	3.9
2004	260	13.5	19.3	3.1
2005	272	13.5	20.1	5.5
2006	275	14.0	19.6	8
2007	275	15.1	18.2	7.3
2008	272	15.2	17.9	4.8
2009	285	15.2	18.8	9.1
2010	288	15.1	19.0	10.4
2011	295	16.0	18.3	12.5
2012	350	20.8	16.7	17.1
2013	385	21.9	17.5	16.6
2014	410	23.5	17.4	13.7
2015	411	23.0	17.8	13.9
2016	399	24.0	16.6	11
2017	418	23.5	17.7	13.4
2018	433	23.4	18.5	17.8
2019	405	23.3	17.3	15.3
2020	384	23.4	16.3	17.2
2021	410	24.0	17.0	22
2022	393	23.4	16.7	13
2023	408	23.4	17.3	15.7
2024	399	22.9	17.3	20.8

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 Meadowlark Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$150 (1.6%)	$8,344 (88.9%)	$9,383
2020	$207 (2.1%)	$8,603 (88.3%)	$9,741
2021	$630 (6.3%)	$8,409 (84.4%)	$9,966
2022	$522 (4.7%)	$9,268 (84.3%)	$10,993
2023	$141 (1.2%)	$9,940 (87.4%)	$11,367

Data source: Nebraska Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Meadowlark 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 20^th of 452 Elementary schools	Ranks 5^th of 459 Elementary schools	3.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Meadowlark Elementary School)	80	94	14%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kearney Public Schools)	64	74	10%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	56	63	7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Meadowlark Elementary School)	78	88	10%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kearney Public Schools)	62	75	13%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	55	58	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Meadowlark Elementary School)	82	83	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kearney Public Schools)	65	67	2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	58	55	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Meadowlark Elementary School)	84	91	7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kearney Public Schools)	62	71	9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	51	58	7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Meadowlark Elementary School)	73	86	13%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kearney Public Schools)	56	71	15%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Nebraska)	48	56	8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Meadowlark Elementary School)	79	93	14%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kearney Public Schools)	62	79	17%
5th Grade Mathematics (Nebraska)	54	65	11%
5th Grade Science (Meadowlark Elementary School)	87	97	10%
5th Grade Science (Kearney Public Schools)	76	86	10%
5th Grade Science (Nebraska)	68	76	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	405	408	0.7%
African American	4	6	50%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	9	8	11.1%
Hispanic	27	27
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	360	357	0.8%
Two or More Races	4	9	125%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	15.3%	15.7%	0.4%

Schools Near Meadowlark 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
Meadowlark Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1010 E 53rd St	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8210	399	23	17.3	20.8%	345 (86.5%)	8 (2.0%)	29 (7.3%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.5%)	96	1^st of 428 public elementary schools	99.8%		94.2	5^th of 459 public elementary schools	98.9%	4	$11,367	$141	$9,940
Northeast Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	910 E 34th St	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8230	418	30	14.0	54.8%	280 (67.0%)	10 (2.4%)	105 (25.1%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.3%)	58.8	209^th of 428 public elementary schools	51.2%		48.2	244^th of 459 public elementary schools	46.8%	35	$12,266	$1,054	$10,062
Buffalo Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6110 11th Avenue	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8290	298	19	15.7	25.8%	261 (87.6%)	2 (0.7%)	22 (7.4%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.4%)	83.4	49^th of 428 public elementary schools	88.6%		79.3	75^th of 459 public elementary schools	83.7%	26	$12,178	$141	$10,048
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2705 Ave E	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8270	211	16	13.2	70.6%	135 (64.0%)	10 (4.7%)	58 (27.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)	47.5	260^th of 428 public elementary schools	39.3%		45.3	269^th of 459 public elementary schools	41.4%	9	$13,749	$1,210	$11,107
Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 7th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8280	275	16	17.7	36.0%	229 (83.3%)	8 (2.9%)	22 (8.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.0%)	83.8	47^th of 428 public elementary schools	89.0%		78.8	81^st of 459 public elementary schools	82.4%	34	$11,339	$295	$9,936
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 W 24th St	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8040	271	20	13.8	73.8%	152 (56.1%)	7 (2.6%)	88 (32.5%)	5 (1.8%)	5 (1.8%)	5 (1.8%)	9 (3.3%)	56.5	223^rd of 428 public elementary schools	47.9%		68.4	142^nd of 459 public elementary schools	69.1%	81	$16,481	$782	$12,551
Glenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8105 9th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8240	126	8	15.8	13.5%	120 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76.4	91^st of 428 public elementary schools	78.7%		77.8	89^th of 459 public elementary schools	80.6%	2	$11,782	$141	$10,475
Windy Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4211 20th Ave	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8220	255	15	16.6	20.8%	219 (85.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.0%)	5 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.1%)	86.2	36^th of 428 public elementary schools	91.6%		91	17^th of 459 public elementary schools	96.3%	19	$11,269	$141	$9,840
Bryant Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1611 Ave C	Kearney	68847	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(308) 698-8190	243	21	11.7	73.7%	146 (60.1%)	3 (1.2%)	84 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	52.5	243^rd of 428 public elementary schools	43.2%		50.3	238^th of 459 public elementary schools	48.1%	5	$15,089	$1,356	$12,261
Kearney Education Center	Public	PK	1511 5th Avenue	Kearney	68845	Buffalo County	Kearney Public Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(308) 698-8033	355	13	26.4	44.2%	289 (81.4%)	3 (0.8%)	52 (14.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	6 (1.7%)								(n/a)

Meadowlark Elementary School

Meadowlark Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Kearney Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Meadowlark Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Meadowlark Elementary School

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

Rank History for Female students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Meadowlark Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Meadowlark Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Meadowlark Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Meadowlark Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Meadowlark Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Meadowlark Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Meadowlark Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Meadowlark Elementary School

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