Enrollment
143
Elementary
DISTRICT 112 · STATE 272
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 317719001633
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
250 MAIN ST, STERLING, NE 68443 · (402) 866-4761 · Johnson County
GRADES PK–06ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL143 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
11 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 11.0:1 · STATE 21.0:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
59 students
DISTRICT 39% · STATE 37%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 31 | 22% |
| Kindergarten | 18 | 13% |
| Grade 1 | 14 | 10% |
| Grade 2 | 12 | 8% |
| Grade 3 | 18 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 18 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 15 | 10% |
| Grade 6 | 17 | 12% |
Student demographics
13%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 16% · 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
Students here typically continue to
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL→STERLING HIGH SCHOOL
Based on grade levels within STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
NSCAS 2024-25 . % On Track + AdvancedEnglish Language Arts
53.2%
NE avg 57.6%
Math
63.6%
NE avg 60.6%
What this means: On the NSCAS, Nebraska's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 64 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
57.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
61.9%
based on NE schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-4.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 58% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 62% 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 →
Where STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 57.8% | #243 of 311 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 63.6% | #229 of 398 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 53.2% | #300 of 438 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 143 | #439 of 587 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 41.3% | #138 of 359 |
Ranked against other public elementary 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.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
143
+12 (+9%) vs 2020
+28% since 1990-91, when it was 112
Student : Teacher
12.5:1
was 11.9:1
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 | 143 | 11.4 | 12.5:1 | 41% (59) |
| 2023-24 | 143 | 11.9 | 12.0:1 | 40% (57) |
| 2022-23 | 135 | 12.1 | 11.2:1 | 41% (55) |
| 2020-21 | 131 | 11 | 11.9:1 | 34% (44) |
| 2017-18 | 111 | 11.9 | 9.4:1 | 31% (34) |
| 2015-16 | 108 | 10 | 10.8:1 | 29% (31) |
| 2010-11 | 88 | 9 | 9.8:1 | 36% (32) |
| 2000-01 | 120 | 10 | 12.0:1 | 30% (36) |
| 1990-91 | 112 | 9 | 12.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a small elementary school with its address in STERLING, Nebraska. The school's 143 students are in pre-K through 6. Enrollment is 47% lower than the average for elementary schools in Nebraska, which is about 272.
A total of 2 schools make up STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS, with 224 students enrolled.
Federal enrollment data show STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is 93% White. Other groups include 6% Hispanic. The county population is about 79% White. STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's diversity index is 13%, against a US figure of 70%.
Its teaching staff equals 11.4 full-time positions, a ratio of 12.5:1. On average, elementary schools in Nebraska have 21.0:1, compared with 12.5:1 here. Around 41% of the school's students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The rate at public schools in Johnson County averages 51%, higher than here.
On BeatsExpectations, STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is 4.1 points below its prediction, a result in the middle 80% of Nebraska schools.
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is located in Johnson County, where the median household income is $57,632, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18%, and roughly 6% of residents are in poverty. Besides STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Johnson County has 5 other public schools.
Nearest public school: STERLING HIGH SCHOOL, less than a tenth of a mile away. A ten-mile radius around the school includes 3 other public schools. Ranking the closest schools with test data puts STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL at 7th of 7.
Federal records code the school's setting as Rural: Distant.
Enrollment is up 9% from 2020-21, when STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL had 131 students, to 2024-25, when it had 143.
Questions about school safety, transportation, and start times can be posted here. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Johnson County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
5,261
Census ACS
Median income
$57,632
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
18%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
6
724 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Nearby schools
- STERLING HIGH SCHOOL0.0 mi · 81
- FREEMAN ELEMENTARY-ADAMS7.2 mi · 280
- FREEMAN HIGH SCHOOL7.2 mi · 220
- JOHNSON CO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL11.5 mi · 166
- JOHNSON CO CENTRAL EL-TECUMSEH11.5 mi · 158
- JOHNSON CO CENTRAL MIDDLE SCH11.8 mi · 104
Frequently asked questions
About STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLHow large is STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 143 students in grades PK-06.
Is STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL an elementary, middle, or high school?
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is an elementary school covering grades PK-06.
How many teachers does STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have?
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL employs 11 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.5:1.
What is the student diversity at STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Student demographics at STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are roughly 93% White, 6% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Two or more.
What district is STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
STERLING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of STERLING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.