WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL

WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL, a minimally staffed junior high in WAUNETA, Nebraska, operated by WAUNETA-PALISADE PUBLIC SCHS, works with 38 students, covering grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Nebraska's public schools average about 411 students each, so WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL sits 91% below that benchmark.

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

On demographics, WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (84%). Beyond that, the school lists 11% Hispanic, 3% Black, 3% multiracial.

On the resource side, On paper, WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL has 3 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.3:1. The state averages around 14.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 47% of students at WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

After controlling for student poverty, WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 59.8%; this one delivers 60.6%.

Around the school, Chase County reports that median household earnings sit near $68,173, about 24% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL is one of 6 public schools in Chase County (combined enrollment of about 820 students).

WAUNETA-PALISADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL ranks 7th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 65.3%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Over the past 7-year window. WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL's enrollment has ticked down 50% since 2018, when it stood at 76 (now 38). Class-load math has fell: from 18.2:1 in 2018 to 12.3:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for WAUNETA PALISADE MIDDLE SCHOOL typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.