Total enrollment
6,131
+226 (+4%) vs SY 2017-18
16 schools in Kearney
Nebraska · Public K-12
Of all public K-12 schools in Nebraska, 16 sit inside Kearney city limits, with combined enrollment of roughly 6,131 students (11 elementary, 2 middle, and 3 high).
7-year change in Kearney
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
16
+1 (+7%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
76%
was 80%
% Hispanic
17%
was 14%
% Black
2%
was 3%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
| Name | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRYANT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 248 |
| BUFFALO HILLS ELEMENTARY | Elementary | PK-05 | 272 |
| CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 284 |
| EMERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 235 |
| GLENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 118 |
| HANNY ARRAM CENTER | High | 06-12 | 2 |
| HORIZON MIDDLE SCHOOL | Middle | 06-08 | 648 |
| KEARNEY EDUCATION CENTER | Elementary | PK-PK | 332 |
| KEARNEY HIGH SCHOOL | High | 09-12 | 1,663 |
| KENWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 398 |
| MEADOWLARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 417 |
| NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 397 |
| PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 257 |
| SUNRISE MIDDLE SCHOOL | Middle | 06-08 | 536 |
| WEST KEARNEY HIGH SCHOOL | High | 08-12 | 65 |
| WINDY HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Elementary | PK-05 | 259 |
About Kearney
Public education in Kearney, Nebraska runs across 16 schools that hosts roughly 6,131 students. By footprint, Kearney sits in the medium-population bracket.
On the level-by-level breakdown, the city covers 11 elementary, 2 middle, and 3 high.
Per-campus enrollment runs near 383, meaningfully above the state mean of about 324.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment increased 4%: 5,905 students in SY 2017-18 versus 6,131 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 15 to 16 across the same 7-year window. Demographically, the White share of enrollment decreased from 80% to 76%.
On this page, the community for Kearney discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.