Enrollment
129
High
DISTRICT 157 · STATE 391
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PALMER PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 310008901468
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH
202 COMMERCIAL ST, PALMER, NE 68864 · (308) 894-3065 · Merrick County
GRADES 07–12HIGH42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL129 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 74% of Nebraska public high schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Nebraska public high schools
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
12 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.3:1 · STATE 10.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
36%
47 students
DISTRICT 31% · STATE 37%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 31 | 24% |
| Grade 8 | 20 | 16% |
| Grade 9 | 16 | 12% |
| Grade 10 | 25 | 19% |
| Grade 11 | 22 | 17% |
| Grade 12 | 15 | 12% |
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 18% · STATE 57% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within PALMER PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
NSCAS 2024-25 . % On Track + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
67.6%
NE avg 57.6%
Math
72.0%
NE avg 60.6%
What this means: On the NSCAS, Nebraska's statewide test, about 68 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 72 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Nebraska schools, those numbers are about 58 and 61.
Source: NSCAS. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
69.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
63.6%
based on NE schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+5.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 69% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 64% typical for Nebraska schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Nebraska's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH's state test result (69.0% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH this school | 129 | 36.4% | 69.0% |
| CLARKSON JR-SR HIGH SCHOOL CLARKSON | 106 | 34.0% | 71.7% |
| HARTINGTON NEWCASTLE HIGH SCHOOL HARTINGTON | 170 | 34.7% | 74.4% |
| PLAINVIEW SECONDARY SCHOOL PLAINVIEW | 151 | 39.1% | 60.9% |
| ARAPAHOE HIGH SCHOOL ARAPAHOE | 153 | 39.9% | N/A |
| PLEASANTON HIGH SCHOOL PLEASANTON | 131 | 34.4% | 77.1% |
Matched among Nebraska high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 69.0% | #30 of 68 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 72.0% | #26 of 68 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 67.6% | #27 of 86 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 129 | #160 of 274 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 36.4% | #69 of 177 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
129
+14 (+12%) vs 2020
+26% since 1990-91, when it was 102
Student : Teacher
11.2:1
was 10.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 129 | 11.5 | 11.2:1 | 36% (47) |
| 2023-24 | 115 | 11.5 | 10.0:1 | 45% (52) |
| 2022-23 | 114 | 11.5 | 9.9:1 | 43% (49) |
| 2020-21 | 115 | 11 | 10.4:1 | 45% (52) |
| 2017-18 | 144 | 12 | 12.1:1 | 42% (60) |
| 2015-16 | 128 | 10 | 12.8:1 | 37% (47) |
| 2010-11 | 133 | 10 | 13.3:1 | 28% (37) |
| 2000-01 | 133 | 12 | 11.1:1 | 33% (44) |
| 1990-91 | 102 | 10 | 10.2:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH.
Since 2017-18: students down 10% (144 to 129); teachers down 4% (12 to 11.5).
About PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH
Located in PALMER, Nebraska, PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH is a small high school. Enrolled students number 129 students, in grades 7 through 12. Enrollment is 67% lower than the average for high schools in Nebraska, which is about 391.
A total of 2 schools make up PALMER PUBLIC SCHOOLS, with 313 students enrolled.
About 91% of the student body at PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH is White. Other students are 7% Hispanic. The county population is about 92% White, within a few points of the school. Pick two students at random and there is a 16% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH's 11.5 full-time-equivalent teachers put its ratio at 11.2:1. That is close to the 10.6:1 average for high schools in Nebraska. Eligibility for subsidized school meals is 36%. That tracks the 34% average for public schools in Merrick County.
allk12 grades PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH a B+. The grade compares the school only with Nebraska public high schools, because each state gives its own test.
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH sits between the top and bottom 10% of Nebraska schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 69.0% and a predicted 63.6%.
According to the American Community Survey, in Merrick County, the median household income is $68,354, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 3% of people live in poverty. PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH is one of 7 public schools in the county.
The closest public school, PALMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, is less than a tenth of a mile from PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH. By average proficiency, PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH is 1st among 7 schools close by.
The school's locale code, Rural: Distant, means it is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Compared with 2020-21, the school had 14 more students in 2024-25.
Discussion on this page can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Merrick County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
7,724
Census ACS
Median income
$68,354
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
3%
Below federal line
Schools in county
7
1,252 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in PALMER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
- PALMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLElementary · 184 students
Nearby schools
- PALMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL0.0 mi · 184
- ST LIBORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL10.2 mi · 161
- ST PAUL JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL10.4 mi · 277
- ST PAUL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL10.4 mi · 390
- CENTRAL CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL15.8 mi · 327
- CENTRAL CITY HIGH SCHOOL16.1 mi · 243
Frequently asked questions
About PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGHHow large is PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH?
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH enrolls approximately 129 students in grades 07-12.
Is PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH an elementary, middle, or high school?
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH is a high school covering grades 07-12.
How many teachers does PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH have?
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH employs 12 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.2:1.
What is the student diversity at PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH?
Student demographics at PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH are roughly 91% White, 7% Hispanic, 2% Two or more.
Is PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH public or private?
PALMER JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH is a public K-12 school, overseen by PALMER PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.