WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL operates as an one-room-style elementary school in WAUNETA, Nebraska, part of WAUNETA-PALISADE PUBLIC SCHS. Current enrollment sits at 95 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 272 students per school, that is 65% below typical.

WAUNETA-PALISADE PUBLIC SCHS comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 212 students; WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (92%). Beyond that, the school reports 6% Hispanic, 2% Black. By comparison, Chase County as a whole is about 79% White, so the school skews considerably more White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, The school employs 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.4:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 21.0:1 average. Around 52% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 58.3%; this one delivers 60.7%.

In the surrounding community, census data for Chase County shows median household income runs about $68,173, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. In all, Chase County runs 6 public schools (combined enrollment of about 820 students), of which WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one.

The closest other public school is WAUNETA-PALISADE HIGH SCHOOL, roughly 0.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 6th of 7; the average score across the group is 65.2%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has declined 20%, going from 119 students in 2018 to 95 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 15.2:1 in 2018 to 10.4:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.